The following is a round-up of apparel and footwear news from the world’s local media.
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An official of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed his optimism about the future of Bangladesh’s garment sector after witnessing the industry’s efforts to embrace green practices. Mitsuhiro Furusawa said the country’s garment sector has progressed a lot over the years, and turning the factories into green units to save water, energy and the environment is a good initiative. The IMF official visited two green factories – Eco Couture Ltd and Ecofab – both owned by Viyellatex Group, a leading garment maker based in Gazipur. He added, green factories are not only about saving energy and water or protecting the environment, but also about ensuring a safe workplace. However, Furusawa noted Bangladesh needs to further improve infrastructure. THE DAILY STAR
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Serbia’s trade minister Rasim Ljajic has said Turkish businesses are expressing interest in investing in the country’s textile sector, with two textile companies planning to invest in Serbia later this month. A total of 136 companies with Turkish owners were registered in Serbia last year. Serbia’s exports to Turkey rose by 10.8% to RSD30bn (US$255.4m) in 2016, while imports from Turkey increased 18.1% to RSD74.3bn (US$632.3m), according to data from Serbia’s statistical office. SEE NEWS
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A fire broke out at the Sinha Group garment factory in Narayanganj, central Bangladesh, earlier this week. The fire started around 6:45am on Monday on the 12th storey of the factory. Six fire service units were dispatched to the scene. The 12th storey of the building was used for sewing. Fire service officials have yet to release details of casualties or an estimate of the financial damage from the fire. BANGLADESH NEWS 24
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The Pakistan Apparel Forum has expressed concern over the blocking of exporters’ tax refund payments and urged the federal government to immediately release the claims. “A decline in textile exports in general and garments in particular is a big concern. The government should immediately release all pending sales tax refund, customs rebate and other claims to provide relief to textile exporters so that they could focus on increasing their exports,” chairman Muhammad Jawed Bilwani said in a statement. Quoting statistics for January 2017, Bilwani said knitwear exports fell 3.4%, readymade garment shipments dropped 3.6% and exports of all textile products decreased 1.3% compared with January 2016. THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
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