Plastic sector entrepreneurs urge Bangladesh Bank to facilitate green financing

Key stakeholders of plastic sector enterprises on Sunday urged Bangladesh Bank to allow use of the Green Transformation Fund (GTF) for construction of plastic waste energy recovery plants.

The remark was made at a consultation dialogue organized by Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD) at their office in Dhaka.

The stakeholders, mostly plastic sector entrepreneurs, urged the central bank to utilize the GTF for those who are striving to make the plastic production process more environmentally friendly.

CEO of BUILD Ferdaus Ara Begum delivered a presentation on the harmful impact of plastic on environment, and emphasized the need for efficient technology and policy support for recycling, packaging, and other processes. 

She also compared GTF benefits with refinancing schemes for 52 green products that are currently available for business entrepreneurs, considering GTF as a foreign currency loan for importing machineries. 

Shamim Ahmed, former president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA), said the plastic sector is one of the most promising, but it is neglected by policy makers.

He also stressed the need for using the GTF for building plastic waste energy recovery plants.

Yusuf Ashraf, former president of BPGMEA and Director at the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), said the local government has to play a bigger role in alerting the people about the pollution caused by plastic. 

Rakibul Hasan, consultant at the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of World Bank Group, said a plastic compliance guideline will be launched soon, while technology support centres and a roadmap for the development of the plastic sector are already in progress. 

Rizwanul Karim, deputy director at the Sustainable Finance Department of Bangladesh Bank, said they are willing to include plastic in the GTF, but the BPGMEA needed to send a proposal in this regard to the central bank.

After receiving the proposal, Bangladesh Bank will consider dispatching the funds, he added
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com

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