Recently the Planning Commission and UNDP have organized a workshop for opening the report on ‘RMG Supply Chain Resilience’ at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in Dhaka. The Programming Department of the Planning Commission is conducting this research under the National Resilience Program (NRP) of the Planning Commission’s Programming Division.
Planning Minister MA Mannan was also present as the chief guest, where BGMEA President Dr Rubana Huq, Asif Ibrahim, Director of BGMEA were also present as special guests.
Dr. Rubana Huq emphasized the need to bring about ‘economic resilience’ in consideration of the challenges the sector is facing. She also emphasized the importance of adhering to national security standards rather than the prescribed formula of foreign consultants.
The survey reported information on the current state of disasters and climate risks in the supply chain of the garment sector, the impact of catastrophic risk on the supply chain, and how to reduce risks. The supply chain includes the facilities, functions and activities that are involved in the production and supply of a product.
Speaking on the Workshop, Planning Minister MA Mannan said a strong supply chain was needed not only for garments, but also for pharmaceuticals and the agricultural sector.
“But we have resource constraints and other challenges. We need adequate infrastructure to maintain a good supply chain.”
He said the government has built many infrastructures and is planning to construct an expressway as an alternative to the Dhaka-Chittagong highway on a single road.
According to the study, the lead time for export of Bangladesh varies from 90 to 120 days, 19-45 days in Sri Lanka, 40-50 days in China and 50-70 days in India.
Vice President of Bangladesh Supply Chain Management Society Reza Md. Shehab Uddin Sharawardi said that connecting Dhaka to Chittagong Port is the only way and reliance on a single road is risky. “We need more ports for higher exports and imports in a short time. They play an important role in reducing export lead time,” he said. Bangladesh needs to emphasize in building human capital.
Rubana Huq said that supply chain management and flexibility are needed in all sectors, not just the garment sector. Moreover, the garment sector has taken many steps in the last few years. However, small and medium companies are at risk. “So, they should be taken into account,” she added.
Planning Secretary Md Nurul Amin said the country is developing its own conservatism to deal with natural disasters.
“In the supply chain management, we are trying to ensure more infrastructure,” he said, adding that the government has created a port of guava, which is very advanced.
Head of Planning Department Md. Khalilur Rahman Khan said that to achieve sustainable stability, coordination between investment, modern technology, institutional capacity, human capital and all government departments is required.
Director Asif Ibrahim pointed out that the “built-in resilience” capability of the sector has evolved over the years to meet and overcome various challenges.
REFERENCE
https://knittingviewsbd.com/bangladesh-inception-report-on-rmg-supply-chain-resilience-unveiled/
