Another 1 lakh apparel workers to get salary thru mobile phone

One lakh ready-made garment workers of ten different factories of the country will receive their salaries to their bKash accounts. With this, a total of around 3.5 lakh workers of Bangladesh's 260 export-oriented apparel factories adopted the digital disbursement solution.

The ten factories have recently signed agreements with mobile financial service provider bKash.

The newly added garment factories are New Asia Group, Shinest Group, Evince Group, New Age Group, Debonair Group, Tamishna Group, Mahdeen Group, Vision Group, Shangu Group and Best Shirts Ltd.

The pacts were inked at a hotel in the capital where Chief Executive Officer of bKash Kamal Qadir and representatives of the apparel factories were present, said a bKash press release on Saturday.    

"As female workers are the majority of RMG sector, the digital salary disbursement solution of bKash will contribute to women empowerment in broader aspect. The company is also enhancing financial inclusion of the unbanked population towards building a Digital Bangladesh," it said.  

The mobile financial service provider is creating awareness among the workers on secure utilization of mobile wallet after getting salary within the factories.

Launched in 2011, bKash, a joint venture of BRAC Bank, US based Money in Motion, International Finance Corporation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Ant Financial, operates as a payment service provider offering broad range of digital financial services under the regulation of Bangladesh Bank.