Multiple audits are not only waste of time and money, but also create audit fatigue making compliance difficult for enterprises, according to BGMEA,  the apex body of the apparel industry.

This has led to growing calls for converging the protocols to audit garment factories in the industry, it said.

Against such a backdrop, a committee has been formed jointly by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) for working on a unified code of conduct for RMG industry.

Read: Bangladesh’s next development phase to depend hugely on industrialisation: BGMEA

The leaders of BGMEA and BKMEA held a meeting on Sunday where they had discussions on the issue of unified code of conduct and formed the committee.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan presided over the meeting which was also attended by BGMEA Vice President Shahidullah Azim, Vice President Miran Ali, Director Asif Ashraf, BKMEA Executive President Mohammad Hatem, Vice President Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, Vice President Md. Akhter Hossain Apurbo, and Director Imran Kader Turjo.

The 11-member committee headed by BGMEA Vice President Miran Ali will carry out thorough assessment of feasibility of a common code of conduct for social audits including national laws, rules, and policies and international conventions such UNGP along with buyers code of conduct and third-party audit protocols.

Read:Monthly RMG production capacity to reach $7/8bn soon: BGMEA

The committee will take cognizance of the local context while adhering to local and international principles with utmost consideration.

The committee will also engage with international stakeholders including brands, trade associations, academia and social partners to formulate a feasible path to end the audit fatigue.