Accessory and packaging is an integral part of the apparel industry, providing the muchneeded backward linkage. And for the Bangladesh garment sector – aiming to achieve US $ 50 billion in exports by 2021 – it attains even more significance. The accessory industry has not only risen to the challenge, but has been responsive in investing in new areas to keep pace with the expansion plans of the garmenting sector. The most recent being the number of investments made for manufacturing narrow fabrics, an important accessory for the fast-emerging lingerie segment. The responsive synergy between the accessory players and the garmenting sector is an edge that few other manufacturing destinations enjoy. Led by very proactive groups, the accessory manufacturers keeping with the growth of the apparel sector have been registering impressive growth over the years – the sector’ s export earnings rose from a mere US $ 3.07 billion in FY 2012 to US $ 4.10 billion in 2013 to US $ 4.75 billion in 2014 and touched US $ 6.1 billion in fiscal year 2015-16 – and is now aiming to achieve US $ 18 billion by 2021. Recent analysis indicates that out of the total earning of US $ 6.1 billion in FY 2015-16, 15-20 per cent( amounting to around US $ 1.22 billion) came from direct exports while it earned another US $ 4.88 billion from indirect exports( being used in RMG, leather, pharmaceuticals, and other exportoriented sectors), in which RMG sector alone, accounted for 80 per cent.
According to Md. Abdul Kader Khan, President of Bangladesh Garments Accessories and Packaging Manufacturers’ and Exporters’
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Chaminda Jayaweera – Manager CSR & Sustainability, Hop Yick Bangladesh Ltd.
Association( BGAPMEA), there is a US $ 24 billion market for garment accessories only in Asia, and China holds the lion’ s share of it, underlining that given the quality and pricecompetitiveness of its products, Bangladesh holds the potential to grab this huge market. Khan points out that the sector growing at an annual rate of 13 per cent, with value addition standing at over 40 per cent, today has around 1,560 members registered with BGAPMEA and growing by the year.
Apart from seeking Government’ s support and financial incentive, the sector has undertaken several initiatives including development of workers’ skills, ensuring factory compliance according to the buyers’ requirement and searching for new markets to keep the growth going.“ Currently, there are around 200 factories which are fully compliant. Since 2016, buyers and our Commerce & Industries Ministries have made compliance a must for accessories factories. But it is very difficult to become compliant overnight as remediation requires big investments … It would take some time before the sector becomes fully compliant,” underlined Khan speaking
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Zakirul Alam – MD, Zas Apparels Ltd.
ESSENTIALS
Keeping the export target of US $ 18 billion in perspective, BGAPMEA in association with and help of EU and the Industry Ministry, has set up a testing lab in December last year … The lab would provide internationally acceptable testing facilities for various types of RMG accessories and products to ensure quality as per the requirement of the global buyers.
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Md. Abdul Kader Khan – President, BGAPMEA
to Apparel Online, and adding,“ We produce almost 30-40 items locally including zippers, buttons, hooks, hangers, elastic bands, laces, threads, backboards, butterfly pins, clips, collar stays, collar-bones, ply gates, etc. Besides, we also print labels and price tags, all of which have very good prospects for the future.”
Keeping the export target of US $ 18 billion in perspective, BGAPMEA in association with the help of EU and the Industry Ministry has also set up a testing lab in December last year with the objective to improve product quality and attract the global buyers. Built under the Integrated Support to Poverty and Inequality Reduction through Enterprise Development( INSPIRED) project funded by the European Union( EU) and the Ministry of Industry Bangladesh, the BGAPMEA lab would provide internationally acceptable testing facilities for various types of RMG accessories and products to ensure quality as per the requirement of the global buyers.
The much-needed support from the Government as sought by the accessory manufacturers also seems close to materialising soon
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