Staff Reporter :
The country’s export oriented readymade garment factories will remain open under special arrangements so that the country’s economy does not come to a standstill amid the lockdown begins across the country from tomorrow.
The sector insiders said the RMG markets in US and EU, the major export destinations, have started opening by controlling the Covid-19 infections and the purchasing orders for upcoming winter and summer are coming.On the other hand, competing countries have kept continuing their RMG business amid the pandemic. Keeping the situation in mind, the government is likely to allow the garment factories keeping open to ensure productions, marketing and exporting.
“If the factories remain close, the order will be canceled and we will lose buyers,” said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan.
“Factories will be kept operational in compliance with the health guidelines strictly imposed by the government,” said Mohammad Hatem, First Vice-President of Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA).
“If the factories remain closed, we will lose competitiveness and the purchasing orders may be canceled,” the BGMEA leader said.
“We welcome the government’s decision to impose strict lockdown to contain increasing Covid-19 infections because life comes first, livelihood later. So, it is important to control the coronavirus at any cost,” he said.
However, it was also necessary to keep the export sector out of the restrictions so that economic activities do not come to a standstill, he added.
“If the factories close, the workers will go home and make the situation worse,” he pointed out.
Moreover, it will be impossible to pay salaries and festival bonuses to the workers for Eid-ul-Adha, if the production units remain closed for lockdown and the buyers will not pay dues as well, Hatem said.
Meanwhile, all the customs houses and customs stations, ports will remain open during the lockdown to ensure uninterrupted export-import activities across the country, according the National Board of Revenue (NBR) sources.
“As emergency service provider, all customs houses and stations of the NBR will remain activate during the lockdown,” said Syed A Momen, Director (Information) of the NBR.
Besides, offices of all the 12 land ports and other seaports including Chattagram and Mongla port will also remain open during the time.
Export-related some other offices including banks will also remain open to ensure the uninterrupted supply of daily necessities across the country so that no crisis can be created during the pandemic.
