Leather City
The article by the AGM of BSCIC (DS Oct 12) was rightly critical of the deplorable leather industry in Bangladesh. Till recently, this high export-value sector could not attract official or political notice for formal thrust as a development and export sector. We have been foolishly earning much less foreign exchange for decades by exporting semi-finished leathers most of the time; whereas the prices of finished leather goods (as sold to shoppers) are several times higher, as it is a fashion and style trend-setting sector in the affluent countries.
The construction of the Leather City in Savar is a right step, although late; but the traditional objectors have to be kept firmly in control by a new surge of professional glitz, with the assistance of foreign technical collaboration in the finished goods wing.
This sector can easily compete along with the jute industry. The latter is also weak in finished goods--the industrialised nations sucked the raw materials from the LDCs and DCs for centuries. It is high time to go for the Value Added markets overseas (another name for VAT = Value Added Trade).
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