Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun today said the government is not accepting any irregularities or deviations in the leather industry for attaining the certification of Leather Working Group (LWG) aimed at increasing export of leather and leather goods, reports BSS.
“Our leather and leather goods export is not rise in an expected level as there is no LWG certification in favor of domestic leather products.
Considering this fact, under the direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Industries Ministry has already shifted all tannery factories from Hazaribagh to environmentally friendly Savar Tannery Industrial Estate (STIE),” he said.
The minister said this while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a workshop on ‘Leather and Leather Products Development Policy 2019′ at the Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF) auditorium in the city.
Industries Ministry and ERF jointly organised the workshop fordeveloping the country’s second largest export earning sector.
State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder and ERF President Saiful Islam Dilal attended the workshop as special guests while Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim was in the chair.
Humayun said the government has a target to export leather and leather goods worth of US$5 billion by 2021 whereas last year’s receipts amounted to $1.2 billion. “Since the acquisition of LWG certification is one of the prerequisites for increasing exports of leather and leather goods, so our government will not tolerate any irregularities or deviations in the leather industry,” he added.
The minister informed that the Dhaka Tannery Industrial Estate
Management Company Limited has already been formed to facilitate the smooth management of the leather industry in Savar.
He said the government is working to build a sustainable, environment- friendly and complaint leather industrial sector and so the government is providing all sorts of policy supports to the concerned entrepreneurs.
“We have formulated the ‘Leather and Leather Products Development Policy 2019’ to achieve the huge potentialities in the leather sector. As per the policy, necessary steps are being taken to develop the industry,” he added.
Kamal Mojumder said under the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government is working to take forward the country’s leather industry. “We are working to produce leather and leather goods by maintaining the international standard. Leather industry will play a vital role to achieve the Vision-2021,” he added.
Abdul Halim urged all stakeholders of the leather sector to work together for developing the country’s tannery industry and attaining the target of $5 billion export.
Additional Secretary of the Industries Ministry Begum Parag delivered the welcome speech while ERF General Secretary SM Rashidul Islam delivered the vote of thanks.
At the panel discussion, Industries Secretary Md Abdul Halim presented a paper on ‘Challenges of the Bangladesh’s Leather and Leather Goods Industry and Overcoming strategy of the Government’ while Managing Director of the Austan Limited Ibnul Yousuf and Dhaka University Professor Dr Md Abu Eusuf were presented another two papers.