Industry upset over trade talks failure

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) India Inc today toed the government line and said the collapse of the WTO trade talks in Geneva was a setback to the multilateral trading system which would have helped developing countries.

The apex chambers - FICCI, Assocham and CII - said the demands of the developed countries on the developing countries were too unfair to be conceded.

"The Indian industry is quite disappointed at the suspension of Doha negotiations, even though the developing countries like India made best of their efforts to pursue the WTO negotiations on Doha Round. What could the developing countries do when the rich countries are hellbent on hijacking the Doha Round agenda from its development dimension to the market access'', ASSOCHAM President Anil K Agarwal said.

He said the demands of the developed countries on the Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and agriculture were quite unfair to the infant industries of the developing countries like India and the millions of subsistence farmers.

''Under no circumstances, the Indian industry could agree for dilution of the Special Products window of protection for the poor farmers and the formula for reduction in tariff under NAMA cannot treat the rich and poor on the same footing'', Mr. Agarwal said.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said the suspension of talks in the Doha Round was a cause of serious concern.

''The deadlock, caused by the inflexible position adopted by developed countries, has hit hard the aspirations of countries like India to have lowered or dismantled barriers in developed country-markets and to lift millions of people out of poverty'' FICCI President Saroj Kr Podar said.

FICCI called upon the developed member-countries to accommodate the concerns of the developing world and display fresh initiatives and commitments so that the Doha negotiations could be successfully completed at an early date.

The Confederation of Indian Industry too felt disappointed that the Doha Round of negotiations have been suspended after member countries failed to arrive at a consensus on reducing trade distorting domestic support for agriculture.

''The development aspect of the Round has been lost'', according to Mr R V Kanoria, Chairman, WTO and Other Trade Agreements Committee of CII.

UNI PC SBA HS1938