Enterprises not aware of WTO issues: FICCI

New Delhi, Aug 31 (UNI) Small, medium and large business enterprises in India are not aware of WTO issues and their implications on their businesses, a FICCI survey found today.

''Only two per cent of the small, medium and large business firms, who responded to the survey, reported to have adequate level of awareness about WTO issues and their effects on their operations,'' survey on 'Preparedness of Indian Business on WTO Issues' said.

About 17 per cent of the firms said they did not have any awareness at all about WTO matters, and interestingly, several of such respondents belong to metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc, it added.

In view of such a dismal level of awareness on WTO-based multilateral trading system, FICCI has emphasised the need for further strengthening and intensifying the present system of dissemination and consultations on WTO issues.

The survey revealed that only 39 per cent of the enterprises covered seemed to be having reasonable or good level of awareness on WTO issues, while another 42 per cent have limited awareness in this area.

Large proportion of respondents also reported lack of opportunities for representing their case with the government on WTO matters. Only 27 per cent of the firms and associations stated that they had adequate opportunities to represent their case on such issues.

In the case of small enterprises, the sector which the study discovered to be the least prepared to deal with WTO issues, about 75 per cent respondents reported inadequate opportunities for representing their case with government. For medium and large scale industries, this figure was higher -- 31 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.

In the survey, many Chambers of Commerce also reported lack of such opportunities.

In its other findings, the survey found only 29 per cent of total respondents having some mechanism in place to monitor developments in the area of WTO.

While such firms and associations have attempted to depute official(s) for monitoring and impact assessment, these officials are not always 'dedicated' to deal with WTO issues, the report stated.

Not a single small enterprise surveyed had reported to have any official following the WTO issues, it added.

''In the case of large enterprises too, 52 per cent of the respondents did not have any official working in this area,'' the study found.

However, 31 per cent of such respondents intended to have executives with this responsibility in near future, it said.

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