Stakeholders' inputs sought for farm, Nama talks

Seeking inputs from farmers' organisations, manufacturers, importers and exporters for deciding India's approach to the agriculture and Nama (Negotiations in agricultural and non-agricultural marketing access) talks at the WTO, the Engineering Export Promotion Council, Sub-Regional office, Jalandhar, under the aegis of commerce and industry ministry, is organising a consultation meet here on March 21. More than 200 participants from Punjab are expected to participate in the meeting.

Talking to Business Standard, Opinder Singh, assistant director, Engineering Export Promotion Council, said, "At the Hong Kong ministerial of the WTO, some progress was made with respect to the agriculture and Nama negotiations. It was decided that modalities for the negotiations in Nama would be finalised by April 2006. It is expected that the various technical details relating to the formula for reducing bound rates in agriculture and non-agriculture products would be agreed to by this deadline. Also, certain flexibilities are likely to be provided to developing countries for protecting their domestic producers from reduction in bound Custom tariffs. We are organising this consultation meet with importers, exporters and manufacturers for their inputs in association with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)."

He said, "The views of the stakeholders would be sought on the list of products which require protection through no or minimal reduction in bound Custom tariffs, extent of flexibility in reducing bound Custom tariffs in other products and specific products and markets of export interest to India."

Sectors which have been proposed for sectoral initiative include bicycles, chemicals, electronics and electrical equipment, fish, footwear, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment and sporting goods.

While commenting on the importance of the stakeholders' participation in the consultation meet, Singh said, "Cheaper imports can benefit both the consumer in the importing country as well as pose a threat to the domestic industry. It would, therefore, be in the interest of the producers and manufacturers to articulate their interests and concerns in respect of the agriculture and NAMA negotiations at WTO, to the department of commerce so that these are taken into considerations during India's negotiation at the WTO."