Dhaka should take a firm position in the forthcoming WTO ministerial in Hong Kong to protect its interest, said politicians, economists and civil society representatives at a roundtable yesterday.
They also said Bangladesh has already opened its market in different sectors in the face of pressures from donor agencies. But when new rules and regulations of WTO (World Trade Organisation) will be imposed, LDCs such as Bangladesh will face trade discrimination, they feared.
The speakers said WTO negotiations focus only on interests of developed states, not the interest of poor countries.
They were speaking at a roundtable on 'discriminatory policy imposed on poor states' in Dhaka. NGOs Supro and Peoples' Forum on MDG organised the roundtable. Rasheda K Chowdhury, director of Campaign for Popular Education (Campe), moderated the roundtable.
"WB or IMF cannot change our fate. What success Bangladesh has achieved so far is due to our own efforts with limited resources," said Awami League (AL) lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor.
He said, "To avoid dependency on donor agencies, we have to reduce corruption, ensure transparency and establish good governance."
"We cannot avoid the changed agricultural scenario in the post-MFA (multi-fibre arrangement) era," said Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
Former finance minister and AL leader AMA Muhit said the government should focus on special preferential treatment, trade facilitation without tariff and non-tariff barriers and market access to the developed countries in the upcoming WTO conference.
Bangladesh has hardly any expertise to reap benefit from the WTO negotiations, said Sohel Ahmed Chowdhury, former commerce secretary.
He said, "Although the government has established Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) for capacity building few years back, its activities are yet to launch."
As a government representative, Sharifa Khan, deputy director of WTO cell of commerce ministry, said the government has a specific stance for the forthcoming Hong Kong conference.
"Without proper assessment we will not compromise on any issues at the meeting," she said.
Redwan Ahmed, a commerce ministry official, said, "We have already started discussion on Hong Kong conference".
He said Mode-4, free market access, and agriculture will be key issues for Bangladesh in the forthcoming meeting, scheduled for December 13-18.
|
Source : |
|
| |
|
