Maran reiterates opposition to new trade round

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 31. With just a few days left for the World Trade Organisation's ministerial conference at Doha, the Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran today declared that India would remain steadfast in opposing the launch of a new trade round till the Uruguay round agenda is completed. As for India's stance in case the world body decided to go ahead with the new round, he said ``Let us see. A country with one billion people can never be isolated.'' Asked whether India had prepared a fall- back position, he said ``not as yet''.

Mr. Maran described the second draft ministerial declaration released on Sunday as ``even worse'' than the earlier one. He told The Hindu that the official level meeting being held in Geneva today was significant as it might serve to discuss this draft.

Earlier, Mr. Maran, speaking at the release of a book on the WTO, decried the world body's efforts to take on the role of a ``global government''. ``The WTO is a necessary evil. It seeks to encroach on the sovereignty of member countries and went against the development process.''

At the same time, he conceded that it was also necessary since the world wanted a rule based non-discriminatory trading system.

India would oppose the entry of new issues such as investment, competition, government procurement and trade facilitation and would insist on the study groups continuing in these areas. The developed countries were now seeking negotiations in these areas. The WTO is losing its transparency as well as the appearance of being neutral. Developing countries were being pushed into the reactive mode as far as the drafts were concerned and there was no opportunity to consult their polities or people on its provisions.

The book which was released is entitled ``Salvaging the WTO's Future - Doh and Beyond'', and is edited by Mr. Amit Dasgupta, Director, SAARC and Mr. Bibek Debroy, Director, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

White paper sought

A group of political and non-governmental organisations campaigning against the WTO today demanded that the Government publish a white paper, since obligations to the body affected the welfare and livelihood of the people and economic soverignity of the country.

The `WTO Virodhi Jan Abhiyan (People's Campaign against WTO), led by former Prime Minister, Mr V P Singh, submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister last night in which they also demanded that India should not be pressured at the forthcoming meeting at Doha.

Mr. Singh told the Government should not buckle under pressure from the developed nations. Instead it stand firm.It should insist on retaining the right to reimpose Quantitative Restrictions, if needed. He wondered why mobility of labour like that of capital could not be discussed in a free trade and liberalised economy world.

He said during the meeting, the Prime Minister assured the delegation that India would not succumb to any pressure and take decisions in the interest of the country.

The CPI General Secretary, Mr A B Bardhan, said during the meeting the Union Commerce Minister, Mr Murasoli Maran, agreed with the concerns expressed by the delegation.

The memorandum suggested that no new agreements should be signed in WTO without prior approval of Parliament. It also suggested a Constitutional amendment so that in future no government could bind the country by signing an international agreement in its executive capacity.

Others present at the press conference included the Samajwadi Party General Secretary, Mr Amar Singh, the CPI National Secretary, Mr Atul Kumar Anjan, the Forward Bloc Secretary, Mr G Devarajan and JD MLA Mr Shoaib Iqbal.

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