The government has finally started implementation of the Jute Packaging Act, 2010 which ensures mandatory use of jute for packaging of six essential products.
Consumption of locally produced and environment-friendly jute would be increased due to the implementation of the act.
As a result, the farmers would be more interested in producing more jute to be more financially benefited, said officials. The demand for jute would also go up in the global market as well.
“We have decided to implement the Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010 from today (Wednesday) and programmes would also be taken for creating mass awareness,” Chairman of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) Major General (retd) Humayun Khaled told the Dhaka Tribune at his secretariat office after a meeting yesterday.
The meeting of the advisory committee on the implementation of the act was held at the Jute and Textile ministry with its secretary Phani Bhoushon Choudhury in the chair.
Around 40 crore bags and sacks would be required annually for packaging six essential products such as paddy, rice, wheat, maize, fertilizer and sugar, said the BJMC chairman.
BJMC would be able to provide fifty percent of the total requirement while the private jute mills would provide the rest of the demand, he added.
Md. Kefayetullah, a director of Jute Department, said: “We have already taken all the motivational programme to implement the act.”
At present synthetic bags are being indiscriminately used for packaging purpose, which is deteriorating our environment,’’ Bangladesh Jute Mills Association secretary Barik Khan said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has included the act in the schedule of its mobile courts.
According to the act, if essential products are not packaged with jute sacks, people involved in such act would be punished and even sentenced to jail.
The Mandatory Jute Packaging Act was enacted in October 2010 and the rules under the law were framed in June 2013 to facilitate the implementation of the law with a view to boosting domestic use of jute bags instead of synthetic.
As the implementation of the act has already started, an additional 15 lakh bales of jute would be needed for the jute mills to manufacture the required amount of bags and sacks, Md. Kamal Uddin, director general of Bangladesh Jute Research Institute, also a member of the advisory committee told The Dhaka Tribune.
The ministry concerned had initially put emphasis on creating mass awareness about the jute packaging for six products through advertisements in print and electronic media, he also said.
