Paying greater attention to the process of skinning of animals and ensuring maximum value for hides are key to enhancing competitiveness of leather industry in the country, Gopal Bhattacharya, director of ILO Dhaka, said at a roundtable in the capital yesterday.
Mahbubur Rahman, president of International Chamber of Commerce-Bangladesh (ICC-B), presided over the roundtable on enhancing competitiveness of leather industry in Bangladesh, which was organised by ILO Dhaka, according to a press release issued by ILO Office in Bangladesh.
Country's leather industry, which involves nearly 80,000 people in formal and informal sectors, is estimated to lose nearly Tk 300 crore annually due to flay cuts, the roundtable was told.
This can be substantially reduced if skinning is done properly, Bhattacharya said.
Mahbubur Rahman said although the decision to shift the tanneries to Savar was taken some time back, there has been no concrete action yet in this regard. He urged the entrepreneurs of the sector to take initiative to this effect.
Senior representatives from commerce ministry, labour and employment ministry, education ministry, Planning Commission, Bangladesh Employers Federation and trade union organisations were present at the roundtable where the findings of an ILO study on value addition of supply chain from raw hides and skins to finished leather were presented.
