'RMG exporters struggling to deliver goods on time for load-shedding'

Garment suppliers in Bangladesh are facing difficulties in delivering goods to international clothing retailers and brands on time due to extreme load-shedding, BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said today.

"The situation has turned so acute that factories are facing four to 10 hours of power outage now a day," he said.

The president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) was addressing a discussion on "Launching Web Portal on setting up factories, licencing, certification and registration" jointly organised by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) and the GIZ at the Westin Dhaka.

The government says that load-shedding is being enforced to save diesel but now factories have to run on diesel due to the lower pressure of gas and power, he said.

"Gas pressure is so low that factories can't run at full capacity. As a result, diesel consumption has not been reduced. Rather, it has increased."

"With all these challenges, the cost of doing business is increasing and the export from Bangladesh has been performing poorly since September."