The readymade garment (RMG) sector has been hard hit by the coronavirus in the last few months. Many orders have been cancelled by international buyers, while some orders remain unpaid.
Amidst this crisis, a window of opportunity has arisen for the sector, i.e. export of personal protective gears or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
There is currently a huge demand worldwide for PPEs due to the spread of the coronavirus. The healthcare sectors and individual buyers are interested in purchasing this as a form of protection against the coronavirus.
Undoubtedly, exporting protective gears
will help recover the RMG sector during
the post-coronavirus period.
Factory owners said some of the cancelled or suspended work orders have resumed while many factories have started getting fresh work orders, which include PPE, masks, gloves and others.
Several companies are already exporting medical gowns and other protective gears. Currently, 33 factories in and around Savar and Gazipur have such work orders while garment owners are expecting more factories to join the queue as more orders for these protective gears will pour in this year.
This is indeed wonderful news for the economy of the country, which has suffered tremendous losses since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
The RMG sector accounts for a large portion of the country’s revenue. Undoubtedly, exporting protective gears will help recover the RMG sector during the post-coronavirus period.
The government must provide support to this sector in its new endeavor in terms of financing and logistics. The authorities must also work to ensure the quality of the protective equipment in order to establish trust with international buyers.
