Business leaders at a roundtable yesterday said the WTO Advisory Committee should be strengthened by incorporating all stakeholders and think tanks and there should be a commerce secretary dedicated to handle WTO issues.
Political will is needed to reap maximum benefits from the WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations, they added urging the government to form a 'national committee' having representatives from public and private sectors to protect Bangladesh's interest in the upcoming WTO negotiations.
The committee will examine the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration and connected documents and interpret those in the light of Bangladesh's interests for a strong mandate in further negotiation, the leaders recommended.
The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organised the roundtable on 'WTO talks in Hong Kong -- the Outcome and the Road Ahead' at its auditorium in the capital.
Speaking at the roundtable, outgoing President of the DCCI Sayeeful Islam said: "We have to analyse now what benefits we can reap from the upcoming WTO talks in Geneva and Washington beginning in April next year."
He also stressed the need for initiating bilateral talks especially with the USA and Japan for favourably fixing the items in their negative lists of three percent and keeping the items of interest of Bangladesh outside as far as possible.
"One battle is lost, but the war is not lost," Islam said referring to the recently held WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.
