RMG Compliance
Manpower dearth at CMC hits monitoring
Md Hasan
The monitoring cell, set up at the state-run promotional agency for exports, that aims to ensure implementation of the compliance issues in the units of ready made garments (RMG) sector is yet to come into effect because of dearth of manpower."The Compliance Monitoring Cell (CMC) at the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) has not been functioning as it runs short of necessary staffs since its inception, although we have enough funds to ensure that the apparel industries implement their compliances," said Edris Ali, in-charge of the CMC. He lamented that the cell has now only two persons against its minimum requirement of ten skilled staffs. These members of the staff should have knowledge of business and economics to smoothly function the day-to-day activities of the units, he added. The CMC top official said the cell started its journey with an initial fund of Tk20 crore and recently the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has granted an additional US$1,20,000 to reinforce the monitoring body. According to an EPB high official, bureaucratic tangles and failure of the commerce ministry in taking effective measure are responsible for the present state of the CMC. Following the labour unrest in the RMG sector during the April-May period in 2006, the government formed the cell to monitor compliance related issues in the garment units. Sources in the commerce ministry said although recruiting adequate manpower for the CMC is the need of the hour, it becomes a tough job these days as the country is now passing through an economic and political transition. Meanwhile, taking note of the April-May incident, the Social Compliance Forum (SCF) at his fourth meeting urged Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) to mange ID cards for workers after ascertaining the total number of them besides issuance of their appointment letters and provide information on formation of trade unions. These three organisations were also asked for ascertaining the number of workers arrested, sacked and freed in connection with the labour unrest. The CMC sources expressed their dismay over submission of none of the figures these professional bodies asked for. BGMEA and BKMEA, however, said their compliance cells are progressing to provide adequate information to the CMC.
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