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Thefts of apparel products on highways are becoming a serious problem for exporters, said Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA.
During a press conference in the capital on Tuesday, he also sought increased highway security to avoid theft.
He advocated severe penalties for people involved in the theft of export-bound goods-laden cargo trucks on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
According to him about 20-22 cases of theft occurred in 2022 alone.
“If necessary the law should be amended to make tough provisions to punish the thieves who are involved in robberies of goods laden cargoes on the highways as such incidents have a negative impact on the image of the country and the sector to the international communities,” he added.
“There are gangs who are committing the same crime over and over again and getting away with them without any punishment. Our apparel industry is at great risk due to these criminals,” he added.
Despite the fact that some of the thieves had been arrested recently, due to the weakness of the law in the case of theft, the arrested gang of thieves was released on bail within 15-30 days.
The dishonest employees of the garment industry, buying houses, shipping lines and C&Fs are at times also involved in these activities.
BGMEA recommended completing the ongoing work of installing CC cameras on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway by next March.
“Also, ensure arrest and punishment of those involved in such activities,” he added, saying that some private companies buy these stolen goods and export them as stock lots to different countries.
In case of stock lot export, the source of goods must be confirmed, he added.
He also requested other associations to compile a database of drivers and assistants.
In response to a query, he stated that due to the turbulent global economic environment and unsold hoarding of apparel goods in stores, multinational retailers and brands have been cancelling, delaying, or putting work orders in garment factories on hold.
Buyers are even asking that local suppliers share the losses they are incurring as a result of low sales due to low demand caused by rising inflation following the Russia-Ukraine war.
In response to another question, he urged the government to review gas and power pricing because the newly increased prices will impose an additional strain on production costs in order to remain competitive in global markets.
“Considering the order situation the industry is not in the position to bear the burden of sudden price hikes of electricity and gas,” he added.
He also responded to a query by adding that despite the uncertain economic scenario, earnings from garment shipments have been increasing due to two factors: depreciation of local currency against the dollar and export of high-value-added garment goods.
Furthermore, a large number of work orders have been shifted from other countries like China, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Myanmar, he noted.
(DT)
