Myanmar is to expand its textile and garment industry under the country’s new national export strategy as a means to boost economic growth, with the sector’s export earning targeted at $2 billion for the 2015-16 fiscal year, official media reported Tuesday. With foreign investment accounting for 90 per cent, the sector created 1,00,000 job opportunities in 2014-15, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association. The five-year national export strategy, which also covers six other sectors and is aimed at tackling trade deficit, focuses on rice, peas and pulses, fishery products, timber and forest products, rubber and tourism. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the export income from the textile and garment sector made up 40 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earning around the year 1990. Official statistics show that foreign investment in the manufacturing sector reached $5.458 billion as of February this year since late 1988 when the country opened to foreign investors. The manufacturing sector, which ranked the third in the foreign investment line-up after power and oil and gas, accounted for about 10 per cent of the total of $54.086 billion as of February this year.

Source: https://newagebd.net/109693/myanmar-eyes-2b-garment-export-in-fy16/#sthash.e17x6kUb.dpuf

Myanmar is to expand its textile and garment industry under the country’s new national export strategy as a means to boost economic growth, with the sector’s export earning targeted at US$ 2 billion for the 2015-16 fiscal year, official media reported yesterday. With foreign investment accounting for 90 percent, the sector created 100,000 job opportunities in 2014-15, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association. The five-year national export strategy, which also covers six other sectors and is aimed at tackling trade deficit, focuses on rice, peas and pulses, fishery products, timber and forest products, rubber and tourism. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the export income from the textile and garment sector made up 40 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earning around the year 1990. Official statistics show that foreign investment in the manufacturing sector reached 5.458 billion US dollars as of February this year since late 1988 when the country opened to foreign investors. The manufacturing sector, which ranked the third in the foreign investment line-up after power and oil and gas, accounted for about 10 per cent of the total of $ 54.086 billion as of February this year.

Source: https://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254046:myanmar-to-expand-textile-garment-industry&catid=110:business-others&Itemid=156

Myanmar is to expand its textile and garment industry under the country’s new national export strategy as a means to boost economic growth, with the sector’s export earning targeted at US$ 2 billion for the 2015-16 fiscal year, official media reported yesterday. With foreign investment accounting for 90 percent, the sector created 100,000 job opportunities in 2014-15, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association. The five-year national export strategy, which also covers six other sectors and is aimed at tackling trade deficit, focuses on rice, peas and pulses, fishery products, timber and forest products, rubber and tourism. According to the Ministry of Commerce, the export income from the textile and garment sector made up 40 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earning around the year 1990. Official statistics show that foreign investment in the manufacturing sector reached 5.458 billion US dollars as of February this year since late 1988 when the country opened to foreign investors. The manufacturing sector, which ranked the third in the foreign investment line-up after power and oil and gas, accounted for about 10 per cent of the total of $ 54.086 billion as of February this year.

Source: https://www.theindependentbd.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=254046:myanmar-to-expand-textile-garment-industry&catid=110:business-others&Itemid=156

Income from exports of apparel products recorded a significant growth in the first three months of this calendar year, despite the prolonged political turmoil, the government data showed. Export of apparel products in July and August 2014 witnessed a 0.07 and 4.23 per cent growth compared to that of the same period in 2013. But export receipts fell by 2.06 per cent and 9.69 per cent in next two months-September and October—while it bounced back in November with 9.71 per cent growth in the same year. In December, the growth slowed down to 2.38 per cent while it has been maintaining a moderate growth since January 2015. The country fetched $2.41 billion, $ 2.10 billion and $2.07 billion in January, February and March with 7.98 per cent,  7.22 per cent and 8.40 per cent growth respectively in 2015 compared to the same period of last calendar year, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. Knitwear earnings stood at $9.06 billion and woven fetched $ 9.55 billion during the July-March of the current fiscal year 2014-14. But  both the sectors failed to achieve the targets by 5.58 per cent and 3.89 per cent set for the period. Terming the growth positive, exporters and experts opined that the growth could be much higher in case of a stable political situation. Exporters claimed that the impact of recent political stalemate might be reflected in the data of May and onwards. “First, the apparel export growth since January does not mean that there is no impact of political turmoil on the sector,” Md Shahidullah Azim, vice president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) told the FE. The data showed orders and value of shipments made in four to five months back, especially in last August and September, he said adding: “We are lagging behind in the expected average growth of 10 per cent which is still only 3.18 per cent.” “We had to make timely shipments though many of these were very costly as manufacturers had to face air shipments, discount or deferred payment which the data never revealed,” he noted. The impact of political turmoil would b manifested in export earnings three or four months later, he said. He, however, said that buyers’ representatives in a recent meeting informed that some of them are planning to increase their work orders while many of them have already increased  order volume. Fazlul Hoque, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) said that production was going on in factories though the image of the country was tarnished by the recent political stalemate. Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, additional research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue said despite all odds including political turmoil, the apparel export growth is positive though the overall growth is still below the expected level. Exporters had to bear additional expenses and challenges to retain competitiveness including the euro-zone ones are still there, he said. It is to be observed whether the growth is sustained or not.

Source: https://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/2015/04/08/88023

Garment exports rose 3.16 percent year-on-year to $18.62 billion in the first nine months (July-March) of the current fiscal year, according to Export Promotion Bureau.Apparel exports have been on the rise as major markets like the US are showing positive signs, said Shahidullah Azim, vice-president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the garment makers’ platform.We needed to grow by 10 percent every month to achieve the target of $27 billion garment export in the current fiscal year,” Azim told The Daily Star by phone. Garment exports to non-traditional markets grew 7 percent year-on-year in the July-March period.The impact of political unrest would be seen three to four months later when exporters will get their payments, as garment makers bagged fewer than normal orders from retailers between January and March.Exports rose 7.43 percent year-on-year to $2.59 billion in March, a development which acted as a ray of sunshine amid the gloomy economy.The figure takes the total export earnings so far in fiscal 2014-15 to $22.90 billion, up 2.98 percent year-on-year.Exports of other major products like jute increased 6.62 percent to $652.84 million and home textiles 3.47 percent to $592.45 million. Exports of leather goods, however, declined 1.14 percent to $828.36 million.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/business/garment-exports-rise-3pc-july-march-76159

National Garment Workers Federation on Friday formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club demanding introduction of rationing system for the garment workers. Addressing the occasion, the leaders of the organization lambasted the government for not introducing the system despite its pledge do to so in its election manifesto. Recalling the valuable contribution of the workers to the country’s national economy, they demanded introduction of rationing system for the workers immediately. They also called upon the government to check price spiral and take actions against the hoarders. Several hundred workers led by Amirul Haq Amin took part in the half an hour programme from 11am.

The Rana Plaza survivors are now faced with fund crunch while running small business they initiated with their compensation. A recent visit to some survivors’ residents at Savar revealed the fact. The Dhaka Tribune found that some survivors turned out to be small entrepreneurs instead of going to join the RMG factory again following the traumatic event of Rana Plaza collapse. Talking to several victims, it was revealed that the RMG workers started business with the fund they got from several sources, but now are facing fund shortage. A total of 50 Rana Plaza survivors including 44 female and 6 male received training on small business and entrepreneurship development conducted by the ActionAid Bangladesh.  So far, 40 participants engaged themselves in self-employment, 30 of which received advanced skill training course on dress-making and tailoring, boutique, ti-die and screen-print. “The dream of educating my daughter was shattered when Rana Plaza building collapsed, leaving me in dark about the future,” Kohinoor Begum, a survivor of Rana Plaza disaster, told the Dhaka Tribune.  “But after starting my small shop with the entrepreneurship training from the Action Aid, I have got back confidence and begun to dream about the future of my daughter,” said Kohinoor, who already established a small shop with Tk60,000. Kohinoor said if she had a refrigerator in her shop she could sell cold drink, pasteurised milk, ice cream and other frozen items. She wishes the government or the micro-credit lenders came forward with collateral free loans to help expand her business. Another entrepreneur Maleka echoed the same as Kohinoor. She said: “I have received training on block and boutiques and started working. I have revived an order of 500 scarfs but cannot buy raw materials due to fund shortage.” She called upon the government and the global buyers to come up with some sort of monetary support so that they could flourish their own business to beat poverty and hunger. Naisr Uddin, quality inspector of New Weave Garment housed in Rana Plaza, started small garment with eight machines and work for local market., He employed his fellow victims and needed more funds to add more machines to boost productivity.  All the victims, who talked to the Dhaka Tribune are unwilling to do work under the roof of any factory as they feel unsafe. What they want now is to be self- employed, but are facing trouble in getting loans. According a survey conducted by the ActionAid Bangladesh, 59% survivors of the Rana Plaza disaster are intent on starting small business on their own with the support from others. Among the respondents, over 35% have plan to open small grocery shop and 9.8% are planning to open boutique business. The rest 2.2% are planing to find out suitable jobs and 11.6% want to find suitable jobs other than RMG factory. The survey was conducted over 2,297 workers of Rana Plaza. On 24 April 2013, Rana Plaza, an eight-story commercial building, collapsed in Savar, outskirt of the capital, killing 1,135 workers and injuring over 2,500 people.

More than half the Rana Plaza factory collapse survivors still have no job even after two years into the country’s deadliest industrial accident which killed 1,135 workers and injured over 2,500. Lack of availability of suitable jobs, the workers’ physical weakness, mental trauma after the horror and employers’  unwillingness to recruit have caused the surviving workers to stay without jobs, finds a study by ActionAid Bangladesh. It said though an upward trend of employment was found, the preliminary findings of second year survey showed still 55% of the survivors were unemployed.  ActionAid disclosed the findings yesterday. The non-government organisation has been implementing a project titled “Socio-economic reintegration and rehabilitation for survivors with disabilities of Rana Plaza disaster” with support from International Labour Organization (ILO).  Meanwhile, the survivors who received training to be self-employed face several challenges including limited skills and courage to start a new initiatives and limited ability to take risk. Uncertainty over income security, lack of business orientation and limited knowledge on market, bank finance and value chain, inappropriate location of business outlet or production capacity are also among challenges, the survey report stated. On the other hand, challenges for wage employment include employers’ concerns over fitness, psychical health and production capability, problems with psychological adjustment in enclosed factory settings and skill limits.   “We will provide all out cooperation to ensure jobs for them as per their psychical conditions and capacity,” said Mohammad Hatem Ali, ex-first vice president of BKMEA.  BGMEA Additional Secretary Jaglul Haider said if all the stakeholders and NGOs cooperated, not a single workers would remain without job.

Nine international labour organisations, including the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO), on Friday requested Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to have the murder of labour leader Aminul Islam reinvestigated. Aminul was abducted in Savar on April 4, 2012 and found dead on the roadside in Ghatail, Tangail, the following day. The post-mortem report said he was tortured to death. His family and co-workers arranged a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity yesterday where they alleged that Aminul’s true killers had not been identified. In a written statement, Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation President Babul Akhter and Executive Director Kalpona Akhter, claimed that former officials of the NSI, one of the country’s main intelligence agencies, were responsible for the murder. Kalpana said the NSI’s then additional director Aminul Islam, field officer Lutfur Rahman and assistant director Mamunur Rashid plotted the murder. Aminul’s body was found about 100km from where he was last seen on April 4, 2012. The CID, after a long investigation, submitted a charge sheet against the lone accused, Mustafizur Rahman, an employee in the Savar EPZ. The court accepted the charge sheet in January 2014. Kalpona said nine labour organisations had sent letters to the prime minister’s office on Friday. They are requesting the PM to have the case reinvestigated, she said. The US trades union federation, AFL-CIO, in its letter, said the Bangladeshi government had not demonstrated a commitment to justice for Aminul and called for the case to be reinvestigated. The slain leader’s widow, Husne Ara Fahima, said she was frustrated with the probe and trial process. She said she feared reprisals by the killers.

As some foreign companies are closing down their factories in China, concerns also grow that foreign investors are massively leaving China. Such worries, though containing some legitimacy, were overblown as a breakdown of foreign direct investment data showed that the labor-intensive manufacturing sector sees less investment, while foreign investment in the service sector still registers strong growth, analysts said, reports Xinhua. The shift is in line with China’s economic rebalancing efforts – – steering itself away from an export-reliant economy toward one driven by domestic consumption, they added. Foreign companies originally went to China because they considered China as part of the global production chain as well as a platform to export elsewhere, Scott Kennedy, deputy director of the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Xinhua. Due to rising labor costs and other reasons, companies that are most sensitive to rising production cost in China are potentially considering moving elsewhere, said Kennedy. According to a survey conducted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, 15 per cent of its member companies have moved or are planning to move capacity or investments outside of China in 2014, due to high labor costs. He Fan, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Science, held a similar view and told Xinhua that labor-intensive industries in China are facing challenges due to rising labor cost pressures. Along with China rebalancing to consumption-led and service- focused growth model, foreign investments which are in line with the rebalancing trend will continue to gain growth momentum, while those that cannot adapt to the trend will consider leaving, said the researcher. The official data also spoke of the same story. According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to China’s service sector grew 30 per cent year on year in the first two months of this year and their share in the total FDI inflows reached 61 per cent. On the contrary, the FDI inflows to China’s manufacturing sector grew at a smaller pace of 7.1 per cent and only accounted for 33.3 per cent of the total FDI inflows to China.