Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has requested the government to give registration to its associate-member buying houses, officials said. In this regard, the apex trade body of the country’s apparel sector has recently sent a letter to the textiles and jute ministry for taking next course of steps. The ministry in a circular issued on April 01, 2019has made it mandatory for apparel buying houses to get registered with Department of Textiles (DoT), the letter said. Besides, BGMEAhas been giving registration or certificate to buying houses as its associate members. Presently, there are 1,500 buying houses registered with BGMEA as its associate members. In August 2019, BGMEA sent a letter to the director general of DoT seeking registration for the buying houses who are associate members of BGMEA. But the department did not give registration in favor of these buying houses. Even it did not receive any application from the buying houses. In addition, buying houses were asked to gain membership from their respective associations. The department has unilaterally referred the Bangladesh Garment Buying House Association as trade organization that has been hampering the interests of 1,500 apparel buying houses, a BGMEA source said. BGMEA is the sole garment sourcing association in Bangladesh that is known by the internationally renowned firms, he added. It was mentioned in the letter that the prices of RMG items are being reduced day by day due to uncontrolled buying houses and giving registrations arbitrarily by the associations concerned. Around 6,600 apparel factories are the members of the association. Presently, nearly 85 per cent of the country’s export earnings come from the apparel sector.
