WTO: Debates over identifying products of concern commence

Chandigarh, Oct 11 (UNI) Department of Commerce in collaboration with the Textile Committee and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was commenced the first of a series of Regional Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on ''WTO Agriculture and NAMA Negotiations: Identifying Products of Concern to India'' here today.

Rakesh Pandey, Punjab Minister for Horticulture and Science and Technology, while inaugurating the workshop, stressed upon removing anomalies in the agriculture policies to meet the challenges from developed countries.

He further said it was unfortunate that the agricultural experts produced by the Indian universities were contributing in the development of foreign countries, even as their own country was facing a lot many problems.

Underlining the need of proper sale and market arrangements for Indian farming products, the Minister hoped that these kind of workshop would prepare ground work for the forthcoming WTO negotiations on issues relating to agriculture and Non-Agriculture Market Access (NAMA).

Eearlier, speaking on the occasion Jayant Dasgupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerece and Industry said the negotiations among the stakeholders would focus upon getting industry feedback on identifying products of concern to India, which should not to be subject to the applicable tariff reduction formula and identifying products and markets in which India may have an export interest.

He informed that the feedback and the inputs of these negotiations would be used for amendments in the decision taken on WTO earlier during Doha and Uruguay rounds.

Mr Dasgupta also informed that many of the developed countries have agreed upon eliminating subsidies. It is also being evaluated as to how domestic support could be reduced if America gave its consent over reducing domestic support.

He also drew attention towards identifying special products and reducing market access so that it would not have adverse impact upon the domestic products of the country due to reduction in custom duty on import goods.

Mr Abhijit Das from UNCTAD India said that the workshop will bring together representatives of State/UT governments, Civil Society, Consumer Organisations, Industry repreentatives, experts and policy makers.

He further informed that the first regional workshop in Chandigarh, has included stakeholders of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Delhi and Chandigarh.

Four more regional workshops are planned at Patna, Shillong, Chennai and Udaipur during the period October-November, 2006. The workshops have been grouped into five regions with each regional workshop covering the stakeholders of the states and UTs allocated to the region.

In other sessions Vandna Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the fields where there are opportunities for India or concerns over unfair competitions from export.

Mr Bipin Menon, Deputy Director, foreign trade highlighted the need for the states to articulate their concerns in view of challenges from the international market.

As many as 250 participants including the stakeholders and experts from departments of commerce, industry and textile committee took active part in the negotiations.

UNI JN CS DB2015