DHAKA, Aug 8, 2022 (BSS) - Entrepreneurs from the plastic sector today demanded for ensuring a harassment-free business environment as this industry contributes to employment, export earnings and industry decentralization across the country.
They made this call at the first meeting of the FBCCI standing committee on Plastic, Rubber, Melamine and PVC Products held at FBCCI today.
The speakers alleged that the government agencies are not renewing licenses of plastic products manufacturing factories since the fire incidents at Churihatta in the capital, said a press release.
As the factories are losing their legal validity, the government agencies do fine and sometimes even file cases against the factory owners.
Therefore, many small and medium industries have been shut off, the businessmen added.
The businessmen informed that the government declared plastic village is yet to come to light leaving the entrepreneurs with no choice of relocating their factories. Therefore, businessmen called for renewing licenses till the plastic village is set up.
Speaking as the chief guest, FBCCI senior vice president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu said that plastic industry contributes to employment, export earnings and industry decentralization across the country.
Citing an apprehension of global economic recession next year, Babu underscored the need for expanding the export base to deal with this crisis. He also urged the entrepreneurs to harness the untapped potentials of the plastic sector.
Vice president Md. Amin Helaly informed that FBCCI is planning to arrange three fairs in Kolkata, Guwahati and Tripura to showcase Bangladeshi products.
He suggested exhibiting the plastic products in those fairs adding that Bangladeshi plastic products have great demand in seven sisters of India.
Director in-Charge of the committee Abu Motaleb said the committee will work in solving tax and environmental problems. He called for eco-friendly production as well.
Committee chairman and President of BPGMEA Shamim Ahmed informed that waste management is the biggest challenge for the plastic sector. “Bangladesh will be able to utilize the huge potential in this sector if the challenge is properly dealt with,” he added.
There is a $600 billion global market for plastic products, of which, Bangladesh tapped $1.2 billion which is less than 1 percent. “Therefore, it’s necessary to explore new avenues for exporting Bangladeshi plastic products,” Shamim opined.
He informed that Bangladesh has Taka 40,000 local market for plastic products with an annual growth rate of 20 percent. So, this sector has huge potential.
The BPGMEA President also called for considering the deemed earnings as export to this sector.
FBCCI Director Priti Chakraborty urged the government to provide proper policy support in grooming this sector.
FBCCI Director Hafez Harun demanded an end to harassment to the small and medium entrepreneurs in the plastic industry in the name of inspection. Director Mohammed Bazlur Rahman called for working together to overcome the problems in the plastic sector.
Earlier in the open discussion, a representative from melamine product manufacturer and exporter informed that Bangladeshi melamine products have to pay 35 percent duty while exporting to Nepal, which is only 10 percent for the Indian market.
They called for ensuring a level playing field to compete with Indian products in Nepalese market.
Committee members also demanded for reducing VAT from 15 percent to 3 percent in the PVC sector, reintroduction of package VAT, declaring rubber product as agro-product, separate HS code for spare parts used in toy production.
Committee Co-chairmen Md. Shafiqul Islam (Mintu), Md. Abul Khair and Nazmul Hossain, FBCCI Adviser Manzur Ahmed and other members of the committee were present at the meeting.
