Finance minister AMA Muhith assured that the demands of apparel makers affected by the current political crisis will be taken into considerations.
The assurance comes at a meeting with readymade garment, knitwear and textile leaders at the finance ministry’s secretariat office in Dhaka yesterday.
BGMEA president M Atiqul Islam, BKMEA president AKM Salim Osman, BTMA president Jahangir Alamin, among others, attended the meeting. Representative from Bangladesh Bank was also present.
The leaders placed eight-point demands before the finance minister.
The demands include payment of workers’ wages of four months from November 2013 to February 2014 creating special PC and BAISALAM to be adjustment in next two years, blocking of term loans, project loans, LTR, MPI, forced loan for two years without interest, a two-year exemption from classifying loans of textile, garment and backward linkages, uninterrupted continuation of letter of credit and other facilities, two-year blocking of instalment of any loan etc.
They also asked for giving financial incentives to explore new markets and reducing tax at source.
BGMEA president Atiqul Islam said supply chain has been broken, which is putting us under huge losses.
“We need financial and banking supports to make up losses that we are facing because of ongoing political unrest,” said Atiqul Islam, also urging exit help for those who have become unable to become continue to their businesses.
In reply, finance minister said the government would consider the demands though all of them would not be possible to address.
“We will consider your demands including tax reduction at source and giving incentive though all will be not possible to meet,” he said.
At the meeting, the garment leaders alleged that they were not getting cash incentive for telegraphic transfer (TT).
In response to the allegation, finance minister asked the central bank official to make sure in one week that the sectors are getting TT incentive.
On classification of loans, AMA Muhith said: “We can deal with the issue of classifying loans, but we cannot enact law in this regard right now.”
Commenting on political situation, Muhith described the current situation as “very difficult.”
Give us special PC (packing credit) Baisalam for four month from November 13 to February 14, which would be adjusted in next two years so that we can pay wages as are facing fund crunch due to ongoing political unrest that caused disruption of shipment, he added.
