The RMG factory inspection scheduled to be started today has been delayed as the government did not get lists of the factories from the “Accord” and “Alliance” and the approval to use the inspection fund.
The readymade garment factory inspection will be conducted under a foreign fund of $24m initiated by the ILO.
“It would not be possible to start the factory inspection from today as a common standard – the main instrument of the factory inspection is not yet ready,” Labour Secretary Mikail Shipar told the Dhaka Tribune Saturday.
He said the approval from the ERD is mandatory for using the foreign fund and the ILO has already submitted an application to ERD. It was not approved yet.
The North American Alliance and EU retail brands have not yet submitted their vendor lists and common check list on fire and building safety to the government, causing the delay in preparing the common standard for inspection, he added.
The official hoped it would be possible to start the factory inspection in next 15 days.
On September 7, he sought factory lists from the Alliance and Accord to start inspection from today.
The ILO has submitted application to ERD seeking approval about 10 days back and it might be approved within short time, said Srinivas Reddy, ILO country director.
The inspection will begin by the end of September and the factory list and a common check list will be ready by then, he added.
A leader of BGMEA said that the government and the ILO will inspect the garment factories, which are not in the list of the Alliance and Accord.
The BGMEA has already provided a full list of garment factories to the government, but the Alliance and Accord yet to provide their lists, he said.
The EU buyers and labour rights group have formed the EU Accord on Fire and Building Safety in May after the Rana Plaza collapse, but major US retailers refused to join the team and formed North American Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative.
The separate platforms announced that they will inspect about 1,750 factories supplying products for them.
The government decided to inspect rest around 2,000 units under the assistance of ILO and 30 expert teams of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
