NCCI tells Swedes to buy more

The Nordic Chamber of Commerce and Industries (NCCI) in Bangladesh on Monday urged the Swedish buyers of Bangladeshi garments to purchase more to improve the lives of the workers.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 Feb 2013, 10:37 AM
Updated : 25 Feb 2013, 10:39 AM

President Arild Klokkerhaug said the garment industries had created jobs for the people who once used to work in households.

“I have been in Bangladesh for the last 19 years. I have seen Dhaka in a very much worse shape than it is today. When we came here there would be people knocking at the door quite often asking can I work your house. Everyone could take someone as housekeeper.

“Now many families are in desperate need how they can find someone to help to clean, to wash, to cook.

“They all work in garment factories,” he said.

“When you say in Europe and Scandinavian countries that oh it’s unfair that the garment factories are paying too little.. it’s not very good, we should boycott Bangladesh
“I think people have stopped looking for cleaning jobs and gone to the garment factories that mean they have raised their standards quite a lot and that will continue if we buy a lot from Bangladesh.”
The Nordic Chamber President was persuading a Swedish business delegation in Dhaka for doing business in Bangladesh.
According to the Swedish Embassy in Dhaka, Swedish companies import about 60 percent of Bangladesh’s apparel that go to the Europe.
The Embassy introduced the delegation of giant Swedish companies led by State Secretary to the Minister for Trade Gunnar Oom on Monday.
The delegation comprises giant companies like Volvo, Scania, Oriflame, and SEB to see the business opportunities in Bangladesh.
The 21-strong delegation of more than 10 companies will meet with the ministers, government officials as well as the business leaders during their two-day visit.
Klokkerhaug said Nordic companies like Telenor, Ericsson, Tetra Pak were doing ‘successful’ business in Bangladesh.
He said there was a ‘tremendous opportunity and fantastic potential’ of doing business in Bangladesh.
But he suggested them to send people of the companies with problem-solving mentality. “I can assure that they will really make good business here.”
Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industries President Sabur Khan welcomed them in Bangladesh and said the Chamber would extend its support for the Swedish investors.
“Whenever you face any problem, let us know we will help as always,” he said and added that the Chamber has a separate desk to help foreign investors in Bangladesh.
The State Secretary Oom introduced his delegation that he said comprised of ‘renowned’ companies.
“(They are) renowned for their long-term commitment, innovative capacity and cost-effectiveness, offering products and services that are sustainable and of high quality,” he said.
“All the companies in the delegation are seeking new or continued opportunities for cooperation,” he said.
Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka Lindahl Kenny encouraged the companies to identify ‘long lasting business opportunities’ in Bangladesh that she described as ‘an incredibly dynamic country with abounds of business opportunities.’