US backs Indian view on Singapore issues

The US has supported developing countries in their demands to keep three of the four Singapore issues "" transparency in government procurement, investment and competition "" out of the Doha work programme in the revised document on fixing the framework for negotiations expected next week.

"With the US agreeing to keep the three Singapore issues aside, the revised document could keep these issues out of the Doha work programme," an Indian trade negotiator told the Business Standard.

It is, however, unclear if the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Secretariat would agree to the demands from a majority of the 147 members to remove the issues from the purview of the study groups.

A large number of members are willing to agree to the demands from the proponents "" the European Union , South Korea, japan and Switzerland "" to include trade facilitation on the Doha work programme.

While the proponents want the study process at the WTO to continue but countries like Malaysia are demanding that the issues be removed from the multilateral body's ambit.

In case of Singapore issues, comprising investment, competition policy, trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement, the membership is divided over the fate of the subjects which led to the collapse of the Cancun ministerial meeting in September.

Indian officials were of the opinion that the EU had agreed to drop at least three issues from the negotiating agenda before talks collapsed in Cancun.

India has maintained that the proponents have lost "legitimacy" in demanding the inclusion of the issues in the current round of negotiations.