US demands more progress for GSP

To reinstate the trade benefits under Generalized System of Preference (GSP) Bangladesh must work on few issues including ensuring the labourer right, said a statement from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released on Friday.

Mentioning significant progress on workers safety in the sector in last one year, the statement said still more is needed to get back the GSP status.

US trade representative Michael Froman said on the statement, USTR demands immediate inspection in the factories to prevent repetition of the tragedies took place in 2012 and 2013.

Froman in the statement said there are more things to do regarding labourer right, preventing harassment of the labourer and labour-law by the government as well as the private sector and the International labour Organization.

On the other hand, a USTR-led organization submitted a report on the implementation and progress of the 16-condition action plan given to Bangladesh. It says, Bangladesh has made some progress especially on fire safety and building safety. Also, Bangaldesh government took initiatives to conduct inspection to more than 2000 readymade garments factory. Atleast 31 factory completely and 17 partially have been closed through this inspection.

But USTR is still concerned over the attacks on Labour-right activists and harassments of the labourer at workplace.

More than 12,000 died in the Rana Plaza-collapse in April 2013. After the tragedy US government withheld the GSP facilities for Bangladesh in June that year.