Sri Lanka needs competent negotiators in proposed FTA discussions
In some trade circles serious questions are being raised as to whether Sri Lanka is properly negotiating Free Trade Agreements (FTA) with other countries after the experience with the FTA with India. Sarada De Silva, who was re-elected President of the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) at its 21st AGM held in Colombo last week, raised eyebrows saying that the FTA with India was poorly drafted and questioned whether it was properly negotiated. He also expressed concern over the competence of those drafting these agreements.
He said that they invited Eran Wickramaratne, Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Development so that he would be able to enlighten them on some of the matters that the NCE is raising. For the last two years, he said, they were finding it extremely difficult to get their requirements in financial or human capital and as far as employment is concerned everybody is trying to get government jobs. He stressed that the government must give high priority to exports. Mr. De Silva said they have found that the FTA with India is poorly drafted and though they cannot agree with some of the proposals in the FTA, they were compelled to agree in the interest of the country.
Moving the country office of UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation) to India from Colombo is also a matter of concern to the Sri Lankan industrialists, he indicated as if this country office is in Sri Lanka the country’s industrialists could have obtained significant support, services and information. Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne said that the country’s exports have been declining for a long time but the view of the present government is that exports should take the centre place in the country’s economy during the next two decades. Even though global economies are slowing down, he said that one of the agents that push up economies is exports in the short term. The oil prices going down give the government breathing space.