Financial Times

Sri Lanka gears up for Doha Development Agenda
In a bid to secure a greater advantage on trade talks at the ongoing World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Agenda, the International Trade Centre last week inaugurated a WTO training course in Colombo for representatives of the private sector and the public sector.

Sri Lanka faces severe constraints in basic resources and technical expertise, which inhibit the process of effectively and expeditiously advancing its interest in the multinational negotiations.

“The project’s purpose is twofold - firstly, to strengthen the capacity of the government of Sri Lanka and other stakeholders to participate effectively in WTO negotiations and meet Sri Lanka’s commitments and challenges from WTO and other international trade agreements and, secondly to assist Sri Lanka in promoting further exports of garments, gems and jewellery,” Julian Wilson, Ambassador to the EU Delegation in Colombo, funding the project, told The Sunday Times FT.

“This project became operational less that a year ago and the EC has been working very closely with the Department of Commerce, our key partner in this project, the International Trade Centre which has been contracted by us to implement this project, and other stake holders such as the Intellectual Property Office, the Joint Apparel Exporters Association, the Ceylon Sapphire Council, Export Development Board, local chambers of commerce and local NGOs, to ensure that this project has a multiplier effect and that the benefits of this project is passed on to a much larger group of stakeholders,” he said.

He said there will be training in Sri Lanka and study visits to Geneva for government officials and staff from major stakeholders. “The project will also help to strengthen the capacities of the Department of Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, by establishing a WTO Information Centre and a Contingent Trade Remedies Unit,” he said.

He said the training will also centre around developing the private sector export capacity which will focus mainly on the garments, the gems and jewellery sectors. “The programme will help the garment sector with the development of supply chain management to increase the value added and the development of new apparel markets while the gems and the jewellery sector will be supported through development of a distribution network for Sri Lankan products in the EU and increasing the marketing capacity of suitable companies in the sector,” he said.

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