Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine December Issue 2018 | Page 44

BANGLADESH CANVAS
Skill development in RMG sector is a must to move
up the value chain: Experts
Notwithstanding the fact that
Bangladesh is the second
largest garment exporter
globally, the readymade garment
sector of the country is facing
challenge to move up the value
chain due to shortage of
skilled manpower.
This was underlined by the
experts at a recent seminar
organised by private think tank
South Asian Network on Economic
Modeling (SANEM) in Dhaka. observed that in the coming
days, competition from the likes
of Vietnam would be on the
parameter of quality and
not price.
“We need to focus not only on
price-competitiveness but also
on quality… We need to move up
the value chain. From traditional
products, we need to move to
branded products,” reportedly
stated Executive Director of
SANEM Dr. Selim Raihan while
underlining that Bangladesh’s
apparel industry is seriously
lacking skilled labour force, which
is hurting the scope of moving up
the value chain. “In near future, Vietnam is
going to pose a threat to our
RMG market and that threat
would come not in terms of price
competitiveness but in terms of
quality,” reportedly maintained
Dr. Selim Raihan, adding,
“Already, a good portion of
manufacturing job is shifting from
China to countries like Vietnam
and Cambodia but Bangladesh is
yet to take benefit of that.”
Presenting keynote paper on
the future of RMG industry in
Bangladesh, Dr. Raihan further
Attending the event, experts
also reportedly harped on
enhancing the negotiation skills
of entrepreneurs.
Bangladesh exports to India gain by 168 per cent;
market shows great potential
India continues to prove how
tremendously potential its market
can be for Bangladesh’s apparel
industry, as the country showed
a gain of 168 per cent
for a consecutive month in
October 2018.
According to latest data
released by Bangladesh
Export Promotion Bureau,
apparel exports to India stood
over US $ 187 million during
July-October 2018, the first
quarter of FY ’18-19. During the
same period in the last fiscal, the
figure stood at US $ 69.7 million.
Last month too, exports to India
surged by 167 per cent gaining
US $ 145 million. For the
individual month of October, the
apparel exports amounted to over
US $ 42 million.
Further analysis into the data by
Apparel Online shows that woven
According to latest
data released by
Bangladesh Export
Promotion Bureau,
apparel exports to
India stood over US
$ 187 million during
July-October 2018.
garment items were the most
popular in India during this first
quarter. It procured over US $ 136
million worth of woven products,
up more than three times (300
per cent) from the same period
last year. Knitwear fetched over
US $ 50 million, a double gain in
this regard.
Reportedly, Bangladesh’s apparel
manufacturers have attributed
the remarkable surge in exports
to India to the rising number
of foreign brands and retailers
opening up a number of outlets
and stores in India – which, in
turn, have been sourcing heavily
from Bangladesh.
44 Apparel Online Bangladesh | December 2018 | www.apparelresources.com
Notably though, India has been
growing into a good potential
market for Bangladesh’s apparel
manufacturers and exporters.
In last fiscal (2018-19), apparel
exports to the country from
Bangladesh witnessed a 100
per cent gain – a trend which is
still continuing.