Tanners getting Tk 600cr loan for rawhide purchase

Economic Correspondent: Four state-owned banks are giving 42 leather traders Tk 600 crore loan to purchase rawhides of sacrificial animals during Eid-ul-Azha.

Tanners who paid loan of last year are getting fresh loan this year.

Last year, a total of 40 tannery owners were given Tk 526 crore loan.

According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) sources, different banks gave Tk 1,137 crore loan for purchasing rawhide. The banks gave the loan to 71 traders till March this year. Of which, the amount Tk 85 crore has been defaulted.

However, the total amount of loan in the leather industry is nearly Tk 3,500 crore.

According to sources, Janata Bank alone is giving Tk 210 crore loan to 32 tanners this year. The bank gave Tk 201 crore to the traders last year.

Rupali Bank has given Tk 175 crore to purchase rawhide this year. Samina Tannery, Bengal Leather and HNH Leather and Industries received the loan.

Agrani Bank is giving Tk 146 crore loan to Bay Tannery, Dhaka Hide, Duel International and Apex Tannery.

Besides, Sonali Bank is giving three traders Tk 70 crore for rawhide purchase this year. The tanners are Bhulua Tannery, Amin Tannery and Kalam Tannery.

Except state-owned banks, several private banks including National Bank, City Bank and Uttara Bank are giving loan to tanners for buying rawhide of sacrificial animals this year.

Nearly 50 percent of rawhide collected around the year comes from Eid-ul-Azha, traders said.


risingbd/Dhaka/August 20, 2018/Hassan/A K Azad