Shipbuilders demand incentive package to fight Covid-19 impacts
The sector could incur a loss of Tk10,000 crore
Shipbuilders have urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to declare an incentive package so that the industry can tackle the impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak in Bangladesh.
The Association of Export Oriented Shipbuilding Industries of Bangladesh (Aeosib) on Saturday said the sector has to incur a loss of Tk10,000 crore due to the coronavirus pandemic.
About 100 shipbuilders have been affected by the virus and are counting losses due to the shutdown.
The shipbuilders put forward their four-point demand in a letter signed by Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain, the general secretary of the association.
Their demands include Tk5,000 as monthly salaries for each employee and waiving of utility bills for shipbuilding industries till December 2020.
Shipbuilders also asked for suspension of income tax on workers' salaries and allowances.
The association demanded a Tk3,000 crore loan as working capital with 2 percent interest rate for keeping shipyards functional.
The letter states that more than 2 lakh people are directly and indirectly involved with the shipbuilding industry. At present, about 1 lakh permanent or temporary employees will lose jobs or be deprived of their salaries.
