The Forum Panel's leader Faisal Samad has shared his vision, ahead of the BGMEA elections on 9 March, according to local news reports.
Samad is said to have outlined a multifaceted approach to address the challenges faced by the garment industry. Central to its agenda is helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under its smart vision for the 2024-2026 term.
"The Forum will work to establish the accountability of buyers, urge the government to set up a separate ministry for the garment sector, develop non-traditional markets, ensure the safety of industries, establish labour rights, and protect the environment," Samad was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
The Forum Panel's pledges ahead of BGMEA election
- Introduce digital identification cards for mid-level factory officials
- Automate bonded warehouse management
- Focus on the use of the innovation centre by factory owners
- Develop a pool of professional designers to drive product excellence
- Lobby with the government to not reduce the cash incentive on the export receipt and bring down the source tax to 0.5%
- Restructure the BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT)
- Introduce the global environmental index to inspire factory owners
- Install enterprise resource planning, which is a type of business management software, at cheaper rates for factories.
The Forum panel also proposed to launch a virtual compliance box at the BGMEA.
"We will encourage using new technologies in production and product and market diversification," added the business leader.
Sammilito Parishad's pledges ahead of BGMEA election
Sammilito Parishad is also contesting in the upcoming BGMEA election.
Its manifesto, according to local news publication The Business Standard, is based on its commitment to “developing and facilitating the growth of small and medium enterprises in the garment sector for a sustainable garment trade.”
Sammilito Parishad also want to simplify product diversification and ease the garment business by introducing a new Harmonised System (HS) code and collaborating with the government to encourage non-cotton fibre use to diversify the export products in the garment industry.
However, the Forum Panel's Samad expressed confidence in the Forum Panel’s ability to enact significant policy changes if elected, including the development of a policy for so-called "sick garment industries" and a safe exit strategy for garment factory owners.
"The Forum will also work to brighten the image of the garment sector and overcome the challenges that the sector might face in the post-LDC era," he said.
Addressing concerns regarding electoral integrity, Samad highlighted efforts to rectify inaccuracies in the voter registry, including the removal of deceased individuals. The Panel Forum stressed the importance of a transparent and credible election process overseen by the BGMEA election commission.
