|
Press-Release Embargoed
until 15.15 IST, 1 September 2003 |
|
Developing Countries
Must Take Proactive Steps in New
Delhi, 1 September 2003. In the Uruguay
Round, developing countries undertook substantially higher commitments
for trade liberalization compared to developed countries. Developed
countries have continued to impose peak and high tariffs, specific
duties and NTBs on imports from developing countries. A startling
example is the fact that tariffs collected by the US on $2 billion worth
of imports from Bangladesh are higher than those imposed on imports
worth $30 billon from France, highlights a new World Trade and Development Report 2003, brought-out by Research and
Information System for the Non-Aligned and Other developing Countries
(RIS). Releasing
the Report, Shri K. C. Pant, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
emphasized, ‘A handful of developed countries generally exercise
disproportionate influence on the outcomes of these negotiations, while
the developing countries, which form the majority of the membership,
have little effective say in the process.’ According
to Dr Nagesh Kumar, Director General, RIS, ‘As a part of the strategic
trade policy, developed countries are increasingly subsidizing
industrial and innovative activity and are imposing policies akin to
outlawed local content requirements.’ Resort to regionalism and
contingent protection has also grown. These trends have adversely
affected the place of developing countries in the world trade and their
terms of trade. With the liberalization of trade and investment regime,
growth rates of developing countries have declined in the 1990s compared
to the previous decade and inequalities have increased. These trends do not bode well for the long-term
sustainability of the world trading system, the Report laments. Against this background, the RIS Report examines the trends and asymmetries in the emerging multilateral trading system from a development perspective. It also outlines an agenda for developing countries for the Cancun Ministerial and beyond to restore the development focus and, more importantly, popular confidence in the multilateral trading system. The RIS Report reiterates that trade liberalization should be seen as a ‘means’ and not the ‘end by itself’. The ‘end’ beyond any doubt should be sustainable development in all parts of the world, with principles of efficiency and equity providing the basis. The RIS Report calls for various systemic reforms and recommends setting up of An Independent Commission to Make a Development Review of the Multilateral Trading System as also Reform of the Decision-making Process. Some of the proactive initiatives that need to be taken by developing countries include evolving A Framework Agreement on Movement of Natural Persons; A Framework Agreement on S&DT; A Framework Agreement on Transfer of Technology and Phase-out of R&D Subsidies and Investment Incentives, Dr. Kumar added.
|