Speakers at a webinar on Tuesday stressed the need to work by integrating all concerned stakeholders to ensure compliance in the leather sector.

They said the Ministry of Industries, Ministry of Environment, and Forests and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment  are involved for compliance and wellbeing of the leather sector.

They also proposed forming a Leather Sector Development Authority to ensure development and smooth supervision of this sector as it is possible to earn around $10 billion to $12 billion in export from this sector by 2030.

They urged this at a webinar titled “An Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on Tanneries” organized jointly by Asia Foundation (AF), Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID) and Economic Reporters’ Forum (ERF).

Citing lack of compliance as the major problem of this sector, the speakers also noted that due to noncompliance, the exporters are getting lesser price of their products while the just price of leather products is also not being ensured in the local market.

Zakia Sultana, Secretary, Ministry of Industries, attended the event as the chief guest. Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Kazi Sakhawat Hossain spoke as special guest.

READ: Leather sector export takes a heat as ‘tanneries relocated to Savar’

Managing Director of Apex Footwear Ltd Syed Nasim Manzur, Vice Chairman of Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) Mizanur Rahman, and Executive Director, Bangladesh Labour Foundation AKM Ashraf Uddin attended the webinar as discussants. 

Country Representative of the Asia Foundation, Kazi Faisal Bin Seraj, delivered the welcome remarks while executive director of RAPID Dr. Abu Eusuf presented the keynote paper.

ERF President Sharmeen Rinvy chaired the event while ERF General Secretary SM Rashidul Islam moderated it.