Staff Reporter :
The Ministry of Textiles and Jute has formulated ‘Charcoal Policy-2022’ aiming at establishing environment-friendly, sustainable and international standard export oriented charcoal industry.
The production of charcoal jute has created new possibilities for diversified use of jute.
Charcoal is prepared by burning, cooling and compressing jute sticks at proper temperature. Charcoal contains 75 per cent carbon and is used as a raw material for making water purifiers, fireworks, life-saving antidote tablets, cosmetics, photocopiers and computer inks.
Currently, it is being produced in about 40 factories in several districts of the country including Faridpur, Rajbari and Magura and the country is earning around Tk 40 crore by exporting 7071.42 tonnes charcoal per year.
Apart from increasing export earnings and revenue through increasing charcoal production, there is also a possibility of creating employment opportunities for about 20,000 people directly and indirectly, the ministry sources said.
The Jute Ministry also said that it would provide assistance to manufacturers and traders in the production and marketing and export of charcoal.
The policy will also help create skilled manpower, control the quality production and to expand domestic and international markets.
Besides, the policy will help attract local and foreign investment through expanding opportunities and providing necessary infrastructure.
The government would be able to provide incentives wherever it is applicable.
On the other hand, the policy was formulated to conduct research activities for the development of the industry, to a dynamic private sector and to make competitive in achieving sustainable exporting growth.
It will also help encourage charcoal production in an environmentally friendly manner and to ensure compliance with the applicable laws or rules or policies along with the guidelines of the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS), the International Group of Protection & Indemnity Clubs and Bangladesh Shipping Corporation.
The policy states that the Jute Department under the Ministry of Textiles and Jute may work with various ministries, departments and directorates (e.g. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Department of Financial Institutions, Department of Energy and Mineral Resources) as required for development and expansion of charcoal industry.
Bangladesh Bank, Department of Environment and Directorate of Explosives will communicate and coordinate, if necessary and efforts will be made to achieve the desired solution through inter-ministerial or inter-departmental communication and coordination in overcoming obstacles to the development of the charcoal industry.
Sufficient training measures will be taken to increase the use of information technology including creation of skilled human resources in the charcoal industry.
It will take initiative to formulate and implement capacity building plans for the conservation and management of intellectual property related to the charcoal industry by setting appropriate standards for charcoal, setting up research institutes for this purpose if necessary.
The Jute Department will implement, supervise, monitor and evaluate this policy on behalf of the government. Besides, the concerned office will take initiative to formulate new guidelines including revising the policy as required from time to time.
