What to do with cottage industry problems
Zohra Yasmin :
Cottage industry is one of the important programmes to strengthen our rural economy.
Cottage industries are of immense importance for the small income of the unemployed to achieve family sufficiency.
Therefore, for the development of cottage industry, individual or group and government initiatives need to be increased.
There is no disagreement about moving the country towards modernity. But it should not be done by depriving or eliminating any industry from being a partner in production.
The following steps can be taken to preserve the once traditional cottage industry of this country.
1. Some machinery is needed to modernize raw material supply and production. It is desirable that all these parts are readily available as per the requirement of the artisans.
Apart from that, the supply of raw materials also needs to be ensured. It is necessary to have administrative foresight so that all these goods cannot be freed by the rich moneylenders of the village.
2. There is no substitute for electricity to increase power generation. Development is closely related to the economic use of electricity. Energy resources are one of the many reasons for Bangladesh’s economic underdevelopment.
The small and cottage industries of this country are mainly established in rural or suburban areas. Apart from that, some products are made exclusively at home.
In both cases electricity is used in different ways is required. Therefore, the implementation of the rural electrification programme is absolutely essential.
3. Capital is essential for capital supply and development. Adequate credit should be provided to capital investors in small and cottage industries. Investors will be able to increase the quality of their products and achieve production goals.
4. Along with the changes in product structure and the development of science, there has been a revolutionary change in the taste of profit. It is an ongoing process. Changing and dynamizing cottage industries according to the consumer’s tastes are inevitable. There will be an opportunity to keep the demand of these industrial products unchanged in the competitive market.
5. Conservation policy and adoption of conservation policy is essential for increasing production and industrial development in a developing country like Bangladesh. Apart from domestic heavy industries, imported foreign products are the main competitors of all these small scale industries.
Therefore, for the development of domestic industry, the government should levy additional taxes on foreign products, limit imports and discourage the sale of foreign products in the local market. In this, the local industries will be protected from the strong competition of foreign products and will be able to advance on the path of development.
6. Education and training of village artisans are essential for the development of cottage industry. There is a need to increase the skills of interested artisans by setting up training centers at various places. In this the unemployed youth of the country will be able to make themselves self-reliant with little capital.
7. Formation of cooperative societies and development of cottage industry requires formation of cooperative societies. Societies should be formed so that the producers are not exploited by the moneylenders. Apart from that, it is desirable to have a joint cooperative of the artisans for getting fair price of the products, creation of cooperative market, collection of raw materials etc.
8. Better communication system and good connectivity between cities and villages of the country should be maintained in order to continue the development trend. It allows the transfer of goods to be done very quickly. As a result, there will be sufficient supply of goods in the market and there will be equality between buyers and sellers.
The country’s cottage and small-scale industry producers will be able to increase investment in the hope of higher profits by getting appropriate prices for their products, along with curbing inflation.
9. Massive publicity is needed to popularize the country’s cottage industry products. The interest of buyers should be created by displaying samples of these products at different trade fairs in the country and abroad. Moreover, it is necessary to continue the campaign through government media.
10. Adequate market should be created for cottage industries. After meeting the domestic demand of the country, there is a need to enter the international market with surplus goods. The quality of many products of Bangladesh has already attracted foreign buyers. Therefore, ordinary artisans will be interested in increasing production in the hope of selling products in the international market.
11. If the demand for a commodity can be met by cottage industry, large-scale industry should not be allowed to produce that commodity. If a large-scale industry is established for any particular reason, the products produced should be encouraged to be sold in the international market. As a result small and cottage industries will protect each other from competition.
(The writer is Manager, Public Relations Sub-Department, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation.)
