Home ›› 07 Feb 2022 ›› Back
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) on Sunday demanded equal tariff facility on imports of fire safety equipment in all industrial sectors of the country.
FBCCI Standing Committee came up with the demand at their first meeting on Fire Safety, Disaster and Explosion in the afternoon, said a press release issued by the FBCCI.
The entrepreneurs at the meeting said the government has only allowed the garment sector to import fire safety equipment at a reduced rate. But the country’s image gets tarnished abroad when fire occur in other industries as well, they stated.
Workers in all sectors have equal rights to safety and security, the speakers said, suggesting that, there should be no discrimination in the tariff rate on import of fire safety equipment.
The committee chairman Md Niaz Ali Chisty said it is important for factories in all sectors to have fire protection systems to ensure safe industrialisation in the country. “But except the garment industry, industrialists have to bear burden of heavy tax for importing these much-needed equipments.”, he added.
The total tax incidence is 58.6 per cent for fire door, fire alarm cable and hose reel imports, 37 per cent for gate valve, 26.2 per cent for fire pump and fire alarm system (detector), 11.05 per cent for fire extinguisher and 31 per cent for ABC dry powder, he informed.
Due to high tax incidence, small and medium entrepreneurs mostly fail to adopt adequate fire protection measures, he said, and sought equal benefits for all sectors like the readymade garment industry of the country.
Separate permits are required for the import of carbon dioxide, foam, dry powder and other fire-resistant gases and chemicals which cause harassments and consume excessive time of the importers, Niaz Ali said.
Besides, chemicals have to send to Dhaka for testing as there is no BSTI laboratory in Chattogram which takes additional 8 to 10 days and hike prices due to fares at ports and containers of the additional days.
Speaking as the chief guest, FBCCI Vice President Md Amin Helaly said that “The development of Bangladesh has been largely informal. But now it is time to ensure security to the industry.”
Md Amin urged the standing committee to prepare an action plan to ensure fire safety in the factory and recommended starting of sector-based trainings by preparing a training manual.
The vice-president also urged the importers to take initiative to manufacture fire safety equipment locally.
“There could be various reasons behind the fire at the factory. But first of all, the owner is blamed” said Abu Motaleb, director-in-charge of the committee, adding that, the standing committee would submit a policy to the FBCCI identifying the problems and fetching an action plan to ensure fire safety in the factories.
A sub-committee has been also formed at the meeting to formulate the policy, he said.
Brig Gen (retd) Abu Nayeem Md Shahidullah, advisor of FBCCI’s Safety Council, said that FBCCI has already contacted with ILO to start safety training in the industry.
The government is also considering to set up one-stop service in national level aiming to provide all fire safety certificates and permits.
FBCCI Director Harun Or Rashid, Secretary General Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque, Standing Committee Co-Chairman Md Wahid Uddin, Mohammed Shahjahan, Abul Hossain, M Mahmudur Rashid, Zakir Uddin Ahmed, Mohammad Shamsul Haque Jamil, Mohammad Awlad Husain Rajib, Mohammad Monzur Alam, Tanjir Ahmmed Tohin were also present there, among others.
