Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)’s newly elected First Vice President Selim Rahman said, “We oppose the initiative to increase tariffs against various services at Chittagong Port. This decision will put the country’s export-oriented garment industry at extreme risk and threaten the existence of this major sector of the economy.”
He gave this message in a press release sent from the BGMEA Chittagong office on Friday.
He said, “Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry has been facing one crisis after another since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
The Russia-Ukraine war, the global economic recession, the Israel-Palestine and Israel-Iran conflicts have led to an increase in fuel prices in the global market. This situation has become more complicated as the United States has increased export tariffs in various countries.
Noting that the garment sector has been affected by various conspiracies following the mass uprising, he said, "Since the mass uprising of July 2024, the ready-made garment industry has been severely affected due to labor dissatisfaction and various domestic and foreign conspiratorial activities. Despite all these adversities, entrepreneurs are struggling to survive in the international market with their utmost efforts. In this situation, increasing tariffs at Chittagong Port will be a 'suicidal decision for the export-oriented industry'."
Calling for a reversal of the decision to increase various tariffs by the Chittagong Port, he said, "In the larger interest of national exports and to protect the existence of the ready-made garment industry, one of the main sectors of the country's economy, such decisions should be refrained from."
He sought the sincere cooperation of all parties concerned, including the Chittagong Port Authority, in this regard.
Port users said that the Chittagong Port Authority is increasing tariffs against various services in the shipping sector.
After a foreign consulting firm conducted a comprehensive review of various issues and determined the cost of services and submitted a report, the Chittagong Port Authority has sent a proposal to the ministry for approval of the new tariff.
The proposal calls for an average 60 percent increase in prices for 56 services.
They have expressed concern over this initiative to increase the tariff. If the tariff is increased, the suffering of the consumer level will increase.
