Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman on Tuesday said like Accord and Alliance in the RMG sector, a body would be formed for the domestic industries to ensure that they strictly follow compliance standards while the government would extend long-term financing and loans for becoming compliant.
He also said that the factories of those industries which fail to be complaint would not be able to sell their products in the domestic market in future.
Salman said these at a webinar tilted 'Reviving the Leather Sector in the Aftermath of COVID-19' as the chief guest jointly organized by the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF), Research Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) and The Asia Foundation (TAF) held through Zoom platform.
Speakers at the webinar stressed the need for ensuring compliance in the local industries, especially in the leather sector, to become more competitive.
They also stressed the need for forming a task force to look at the recommendations from different stakeholders and work on the betterment of the leather sector as well as improving rawhide management in an integrated way.
Moreover, the speakers advocated for modernising and making more functional the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) in the Savar Leather Village through addressing its loopholes, improving solid waste management, addressing the environmental and labour rights issues in this sector and thus manufacturing quality products and providing the same facilities to all other sectors that the RMG sector is now enjoying.
Former Advisor to the Caretaker Government Syed Manzur Elahi joined the session as the guest of honour.
Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Chairman, BFLLFEA Mohiuddin Ahmed Mahin and Chairman, BTA Md Shaheen Ahamed joined it as the special guests.
Professor & Director, ILET, DU Dr. M Mizanur Rahman, Managing Director, DTIEWTPCL (TIED) Brig. Gen. M Zahid Hasan and The President, Tannery Workers' Union Abul Kalam Azad attended the webinar as panel discussants.
Managing Director of Apex Footwear Ltd Syed Nasim Manzur, Chairman of RAPID Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque and its Executive Director Dr. Abu Eusuf jointly presented the keynote paper.
Country Representative, The Asia Foundation Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj delivered the welcome remarks.
ERF President Sharmeen Rinvy chaired the event while ERF General Secretary S M Rashidul Islam moderated the event.