CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment

India has been unilaterally opening its services sector over the past decade, and the liberalisation in the sector is in the excess of the offers it made in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Experts say that even though services sector reforms carried out by India have not been reciprocated to a great extent at the international level, but it is helping its citizens access better quality of life.

An analysis of the Indian offers in the Uruguay Round (1994) and the subsequent offers in the Doha Round of world trade talks (2005) in sectors like banking, telecommunication and financial services not only show significant improvement, but also demonstrates that the country has gone the extra mile in carrying out reforms in the sector through policy changes.

However, in terms of reciprocity, other countries have not been so forthcoming. Analysts point that India has huge interests in mode 1 and mode 4 based services which relate to cross border trade (in sectors like business process outsourcing) and movement of professionals.

“Other countries, especially USA, have not shown much flexibility of mode 4 as there are issues of immigration as well as security. In mode 1, though currently there is a relaxed regime, the future is uncertain as there is a lot of political pressure to have in place projectionist policies”, said Pranav Kumar, policy analyst of Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS).

“The reforms carried out in the services sector by India…demonstrate that offers are in unison with our policies of opening up the economy”, said Bipul Chatterjee, deputy executive director of CUTS.

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Now, patents for chikan work, dussheri mangoes
Expressindia.com, December 02, 2007

By Tarannum Manjul

Lucknow, December 1 What is common between chikan from Lucknow, pottery from Khurja, tribal craft from Bahraich, durries from Sitapur, sarees from Varanasi, bangles from Firozabad, locks from Aligarh and clay work from Chunar? Apart from the fact that they are all handicraft products from Uttar Pradesh, they may soon be patented so that they can fetch better prices in European markets.

This move will also help in curbing the exploitation of artisans. The initiative to patent these crafts has been taken by the Network of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (NEED) and a patent for chikan is not far off.

NEED, along with CUTS International, Jaipur organised a day-long discussion on “Trade, Development and Poverty Reduction Project on Gender Perspectives and Engagement on State Representatives and other development stake holders in existing National Foreign Trade Policy (NFTP) of the GOI” on Friday in the state capital.

“If an item is patented, then its price will increase by 13 per cent in European markets. A patent will also ensure better prices for our craftsmen, specially women, who have been exploited so far,” said Anil K Singh, CEO NEED.

Apart from these handicrafts, NEED is also campaigning for patents for dussheri mangoes from Malihabad, aaola from Pratapgarh (both in UP) and makhana from Darbhanga and shahi lichi from Muzzafarpur (Bihar). “Farmers, especially women, don’t get the best prices for their products,” Singh said.

NEED also organised a discussion on the issue of strengthening linkages between poverty reduction, trade and development and gender on Friday.

This news item can also be viewed at: http://www.expressindia.com/

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