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Political unwillingness stalling Doha agenda

Analysts speak at Bangkok dialogue

REFAYET IILLAH Ml RD HA, from Bangkok
Political unwillingness among member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has been holding back the implementation of Doha Development Agenda which calls for lowering of trade barriers around the world, trade analysts said yesterday.
The negotiations started in November 2001 but ran into a dead end in 2008 over a host of issues.
"The Doha Development Agenda (DDA) is like everything is agreed and yet nothing has been agreed," Margaret Liang, a free trade agreement adviser and a professor at the National University of Singapore, said at a dialogue on 'reviving multilateralism: road to Bali and beyond' at the United Nations' Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand.
Subsequently, the member countries plan on discussing three sticking issues pertaining to agriculture, package for least-developed countries (LDCs) and trade facilitation at the ninth ministerial conference due to begin on December 3 at Bali.
"We still have a hope of reviving it," she said, adding that the cost of business would reduce significantly if the multilateral trading system prescribed by the DDA is adopted.
She said trading cost increases by 1 percent globally every year due to tougher conditions set by different countries in transit of goods. In 2011, $750 billion was spent globally due to tough business procedural of documents.
"So, logistics should be easier for
aid of trade and reducing businesses' costs," Liang said.
Jonathan Kenna, Australia's permanent representative to ESCAP in Bankok, said trade facilitation is particularly needed for land-locked countries like Nepal and Mongolia.
"If we fail to reach a consensus in Bali WTO meeting, it will be a major blow to the conditions of multilateral trading system," he said.
If full adaptation of trade facilitation globally is not possible, regional electronic transaction systems might be introduced to reduce the cost of businesses, said Ravi Ratnayake, director of trade and investment division of ESCAP.
Thawatchai Sophasatienphong, chief inspector general of the ministry of commerce of Thailand, said if political willingness is
present, implementation of DDA would not be difficult.
I Ie added that the US has shown a little interest in the multilateral trading system.
"We need a meaningful duty—free and quota-free scheme from the developed countries," said Nam Viyaketh, minister of industry and commerce of Lao PDR.
Regarding WTO's aid for trade, Biswajit Dhar, director general of Research and Information System for Developing Countries, India, said the donor agencies disbursed $33.6 billion in 2011 as aid for trade from the committed $41.60 billion for the same year.
"So, the recipient countries have also the responsibility to collect the fund from the donor agencies to utilise it for trade," he said.
Pwint San, deputy minister of commerce, Myanmar, also spoke.