Plastic fair makes brisk business

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Plastic fair makes brisk business
Star Business Report

Participants in the sixth Dhaka International Plastic, Packaging and Printing Industrial Fair were satiated on the concluding day yesterday, as they received large volumes of spot sales and orders.

A total of 350 local and foreign firms took part in the fair.

Manufacturers and machinery importers received orders worth around Tk 500 crore, while many sold machinery essential to produce packaging materials for pharmaceuticals and garment factories.

At present, the country’s growing garment and pharmaceutical sectors are sourcing most packaging materials from local makers, one of the main drivers of the growing plastic market, said industry people.

They said the Tk 4,000 crore local market is growing at 20 percent a year. At present, local manufacturers are exporting plastic hangers, polybags and shopping bags.

Morshed Alam, managing director of Bengal Group of Industries, said the local market is growing fast, as the sector is becoming cost-effective and producing high quality products.

“The market was not big even 10-12 years back. But now local producers are able to meet the demand for packaging materials of the garment and pharmaceutical industries, ” he said.

Bengal Group of Industries, which holds nearly two thirds of the total market share, won the ‘Best Company Award’ at the fair.

Along with packaging materials and home appliances, the company recently began producing adhesive items.

Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Chan Chao International Co Ltd jointly organised the four-day event at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka.

In addition to locally produced items, imported machinery was also popular at the show, as most importers received satisfactory sales and spot orders.

Saiful Islam, manager of Shazin Trade International, said his company sold 5 packaging machines worth Tk 18 lakh and received some more orders.

Abdur Rahim, managing director of Global Plastic which imports machinery to produce pet bottles, said they experienced brisk sales worth Tk 5 crore.

At the concluding ceremony, plastic goods manufacturers urged the government to relax the customs and bank guarantee rules, extend cash incentives and promptly establish a Plastic Industrial Park.

HT Imam, adviser to the prime minister, and Ferdous Wahed, president of the plastic makers’ association, also spoke.