The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has signed an agreement with ethical trading consultancy Impactt to improve productivity in the country’s garment factories.

As per the agreement, BGMEA and Impactt would support roll out of a program titled Benefits for Business and Workers (BBW) to 200 garment factories in Dhaka and Chittagong regions by December 2015. For the purpose, Impactt would enhance capacity of BGMEA’s Productivity Improvement Cell.
At the agreement signing ceremony, BGMEA President Md. Atiqul Islam said no apparel producing country can sustain in the long-run without enhancing skills of the workers and improving productivity at clothing units.
He said that improving productivity is a necessity in the present era of globalization, and added that garment factories must enhance productivity, along with ensuring fire safety.
Impactt Chairman Rosey Hurst said the collaboration with BGMEA is significant, as it would enable the Bangladesh garment industry to become more competitive, providing better jobs to its workers.
Impactt enables organizations to improve working conditions and livelihoods across global supply chains in a way that brings clear business benefits to both ends of the chain. The consultancy specializes in ethical trade, human rights, labor standards and international development.
Impactt works with a wide range of stakeholders, from large retailers and government bodies to factory workers and local communities.