The government is going to frame jute rules to facilitate the enforcement and implementation of the Jute Act-2017 nearly four years after enactment of the law.

The Department of Jute has already prepared the draft of the Jute Rules 2020 in which it has proposed mandatory licensing for running all types of businesses related to jute and jute products and a provision for setting up separate cells to create entrepreneurs for diversified jute products and production and supply of high-yielding jute seeds.

The draft rules also proposed prohibition of trade and transactions with those who are not actual jute growers and traders who are not licence holders.

The ministry first formed a committee in April 2018 to formulate the draft rules of the jute act.

The existing Jute (Licensing and Enforcement) Rules-1964 will be abolished once the new rules come into force.

The textiles and jute ministry has formed a committee headed by its additional secretary Sabina Yasmin, who is now also in additional charge of the director general post of the DoJ, to review the draft and place recommendations on the rules.

Sabina told New Age on December 22 that they were now examining the details of the draft to fine tune the proposed rules.

The DoJ will seek opinions on the draft rules once the review process is complete, she said.

According to the draft, charcoal manufacturers and exporters, laminating jute bag manufacturers and exporters, diversified jute product manufacturers and exporters, jute viscose manufacturers and exporters and jute polymer manufacturers and exporters in addition to dealers of jute and jute products, balers, press owners, raw jute exporters, manufacturers and jute product exporters will come under the mandatory licensing provision.

The DoJ will issue licences and will have the authority to cancel them over violation of conditions set for obtaining the licences.

No foreigner individual or company will be issued licences for businesses related to jute and jute products unless the government thinks fit in the national interest.

An individual will also not be eligible to obtain the licence if most of the adult members of his or her family are not residents of Bangladesh.

A licence holder should maintain the approved weight and grade of jute and jute products in running his or her business. He or she will not engage in smuggling, under-invoicing, under-grading and over-grading of the products.

Trading of jute and jute products must be within the lowest and highest price ranges set by the government, the draft rules said.

As per the draft rules, the DoJ will have the authority to set up a separate cell to promote, produce, preserve and supply high-yielding jute seeds to reduce dependency on imports.

The department will also establish another cell to create entrepreneurs of diversified jute products, facilitate export of diversified jute products and arrange bank loans for entrepreneurs.

It will also have the mandate to develop a database of farmers, traders, manufacturers, exporters and foreign buyers of jute and jute products, the draft said.

The department will also set up zone-wise jute estates for establishing factories to boost production and export of jute products and diversified jute products.

The department will be able to monitor and control the business of jute and jute products and acquire a business entity, if necessary, and operate it.

Dealers, balers and press owners in border areas should maintain records of purchase, sales and stocks and submit temporary returns to the authorised officials of the department.