Minister calls for introspection before finalising FTA with EU

Patna, Aug 24 (UNI) Bihar Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh today called for thorough introspection keeping in mind welfare of billions of people across the country before giving final touches to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU).

Addressing a seminar jointly organised by the FICCI,Bihar Chamber of Commerce and UNCTAD on FTA with EU, Mr Singh pointed out that only those capable of producing quality products would survive the market once the trade barriers were broken. Before jumping into the era of open competition by breaking the trade barriers we will have to understand the seriousness of market in order to sustain in the global market and for economic sustainibility, he added.

He said the free trade agreement would prove to be a boon only if we do our homework properly and make quality products capable of sustaining the markets. ''Even after more than sixty years of independence, we are still in the row of developing nations,'' he said. He called for self introspection to assess the failures in achieving the desired results in the last six decades of independence.

Addressing the seminar, Industries Minister Gautam Singh said the textile sector was our strength and it could be exploited to make our place safe in the world matket. He exhorted the business and industrial fraternity to gear up for meeting the challenges of the new era ushered in after the implementation of the resolution of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Earlier, presenting the approach paper enlisting the items for free trade with EU, officer in-charge of UNCTAD India Programme Mr Abhijit Das said the related list had been prepared after thorough discussion. ''Madhubani painting and litchi have good market abroad and its potential could be exploited successfully if proper attention was paid to this sector,'', he added.

UNI