New Delhi, May 1  Ahead of the ministerial-level meeting likely to be held towards the end of this month at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, an empowered group of ministers (eGoM) cleared India’s stance on the Doha Round multilateral discussions. The eGoM on Wednesday ratified India’s position on agriculture, industrial goods and services.

In agriculture negotiations, India would pitch for protecting the interests of its low income and resource poor farmers. Along with its partner countries in G-20 (a group of developing countries with interests in agriculture), India would continue to demand that developed nations drastically cut their ‘trade distorting’ farm subsidies, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath said here on Wednesday while addressing the Parliamentary Consultative Committee Meeting of commerce ministry.

Meanwhile, the Chairs of the Negotiations Groups on agriculture and industrial goods would come out with revised texts shortly. There are around 170 unresolved issues in the text on agriculture alone. On non-agricultural market access (Nama), or industrial goods, India would ask developed countries to reduce tariffs by a larger margin than what is committed by the developing countries to comply with the mandate of less than full reciprocity (LTFR) in reduction commitments.

“Flexibilities available only to developing countries for protecting sensitive tariff lines from the impact of tariff reductions or bindings are an inviolable part of the mandate and crucial for safeguarding livelihood and employment concerns,” Nath said. This is crucial for developing countries including India, to protect their infant industries, small-scale industries and vulnerable sectors.

In services, which comprise over 55% of the country’s GDP and a significant portion of its trade, India would seek more market access, particularly in outsourcing and movement of natural persons and service suppliers.

India would not support any agreement in the multilateral talks, which allows ‘zeroing’, a US-backed rule allowing imposition of higher anti-dumping duties.

Arun S

Posted online: Friday , May 02, 2008 at 2216 hrs IST

Source: www.financialexpress.com