Faruk seeks support from development partners to face recession fallouts
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Commerce Minister Faruk Khan sought sincere support and cooperation from the development partners to face the recession fallouts, reports BSS.
Addressing a session of the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva on Wednesday, the minister said that the country's export declined in the last quarter when number of workers going overseas fell drastically, according to a message received here.
Citing some date, he said that the exports in the last quarter experienced a slump of around 12 per cent when export of textile and apparels declined by 27 per cent. Number of workers going abroad fell by 40 percent.
"All these are manifestations of a gloom that looms heavily on us," the commerce minister said.
He urged development partners to deliver their commitments made at various international fronts, including the G-20 Summit.
He expressed deep frustration over the delay in conclusion of Doha Development Agenda (DDA), denying the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Duty-free and Quota-free (DFQF) market access.
He called upon the WTO members to sincerely engage for concluding the Doha Round by 2010. Faruk Khan, who wants the Disproportionately Affected Country (DAC) status for Bangladesh, said undoubtedly Bangladesh was affected by economic meltdown, climate change and many other problems that qualified it for that status.
Endorsing the statement made by Tanzania on behalf of LDCs, he said we need to ensure that all LDCs get more preferential treatment than non-LDCs, address the issues of concern to LDCs on a priority basis and to have an "early harvest" on DFQF market access, services waiver and cotton issue.
"In this regard, there must be clarity on DFQF both on product coverage of 97 per cent and the phasing in of the remaining 3 per cent well before the conclusion of the Round," he said.
Addressing a session of the ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva on Wednesday, the minister said that the country's export declined in the last quarter when number of workers going overseas fell drastically, according to a message received here.
Citing some date, he said that the exports in the last quarter experienced a slump of around 12 per cent when export of textile and apparels declined by 27 per cent. Number of workers going abroad fell by 40 percent.
"All these are manifestations of a gloom that looms heavily on us," the commerce minister said.
He urged development partners to deliver their commitments made at various international fronts, including the G-20 Summit.
He expressed deep frustration over the delay in conclusion of Doha Development Agenda (DDA), denying the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Duty-free and Quota-free (DFQF) market access.
He called upon the WTO members to sincerely engage for concluding the Doha Round by 2010. Faruk Khan, who wants the Disproportionately Affected Country (DAC) status for Bangladesh, said undoubtedly Bangladesh was affected by economic meltdown, climate change and many other problems that qualified it for that status.
Endorsing the statement made by Tanzania on behalf of LDCs, he said we need to ensure that all LDCs get more preferential treatment than non-LDCs, address the issues of concern to LDCs on a priority basis and to have an "early harvest" on DFQF market access, services waiver and cotton issue.
"In this regard, there must be clarity on DFQF both on product coverage of 97 per cent and the phasing in of the remaining 3 per cent well before the conclusion of the Round," he said.