FTA Ground too slippery for micro, small and medium enterprises

In recent years, India’s trade policy is being determined more and more by Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) which threatens access to essential medicines, seeds, and domestic micro, small and medium enterprises. India is currently engaged in negotiating such bilateral agreements with several countries, having already signed FTAs with some of them. The latest, and also the most hotly debated, is the one it is negotiating with the European Union (EU). FTAs are trade agreements between two countries which aim to give each other access to markets by lowering or removing border protection measures, such as border taxes on exports and imports, and other barriers.

WANTED: a level playing field for micro, small and medium enterprises

A National Workshop on the provisions, linkages and possible impacts related to India’s Free Trade Agreements and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) was recently organized in Delhi, by Third World Network, in partnership with Traidcraft Exchange (UK) and Shramik Bharti, (Kanpur) and supported by the Commonwealth Foundation, Network for Social Change and the Heinrich Boll Foundation. The purpose of the workshop was to flag issues related to free trade agreements (FTAs) and facilitate a dialogue between different stakeholders with a view to protect the interests of MSMEs in FTA negotiations, by playing a role of intermediaries between government and entrepreneurs. However, the presence of a mere 5 entrepreneurs in the workshop, did rob it off some valuable inputs.

Doha Talks Sound The Death Knell Of Industrial Development

The Centre for Trade and Development (Centad) and Third World Network (TWN), in collaboration with Our World Is Not for Sale (OWINFS), recently organized a very lively and informative workshop to discuss the current undercurrents of the Doha talk. The workshop was ably facilitated by eminent personalities—notably Mr Martin Khor, (a Malaysian economist, activist and journalist all rolled into one) Executive Director, South Centre Geneva, S Narayanan, former ambassador to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), Sanya Reid Smith, Legal Advisor TWN, and other experts from various fields.

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs): A Threat To People's Freedoms

The year 2011 has seen the most significant attempts to revive the World Trade Organization (WTO) in recent times, with the stated objective of member countries to conclude the Doha round before the end of the year. At this juncture, developing countries like India need to take stock of the situation so that key concerns are taken into account. It is assumed that free trade and the removal of regulations on investment will result in economic growth, reducing poverty and generating employment opportunities. However, past evidences show that these kinds of agreements allow transnational corporations more freedom to exploit workers rather than help them.  By removing all restrictions on businesses, it severely affects the lives of the common people.