The Hindu Business Line : ‘Non-farm text is in conflict with Third World interests’

New Delhi, July 11 Industry chambers gave a lukewarm response to the new non-agriculture market access (NAMA) text on the grounds that it conflicted with the interest of the developing countries.

“The new NAMA text released on July 10, 2008 continues to include provisions that are sensitive to Indian industry. Any agreement on anti-concentration clause would put sensitive industrial sectors in India at risk,” said Mr R. Gopalakrishnan, Chairman, CII WTO and Trade Agreements Committee.

He expressed that the text implied a higher percentage cuts by developing countries compared to developed countries, contradicting the less than full reciprocity clause. On behalf of the Indian Industry, he opposed the sectoral negotiations.

‘Artificial division’

“The latest draft continues to create artificial division between the developing country members,” said FICCI Director General, Mr Amit Mitra. He said, “flexibilities are significant for Indian business as they are a vital tool to take care of the legitimate concerns of our micro and small-scale industries and other sensitive sectors.”

In the context of the continuation of linkage between tariff reduction coefficients, FICCI said, “they have to be treated on a standalone basis and there cannot be a “trade-off” between flexibilities and tariff reduction coefficients.”

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