PNCR’s storyline on the EPA not factual

Oct 07, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
It’s not surprising that the main opposition group erroneously claimed, not long ago, that it was awaiting EPA handouts and other types of feedback from the PPP/C Administration during the EPA negotiations. This storyline is not factual.

And the mini-opposition groupings seem to be now echoing the main opposition’s faulty sound bytes on the EPA. Allow me to present some listings of consultations and progress reports on the EPA over the years:

• National Consultation on the EPA, September 5, 2008;

• Presentation on the EPA in Budget Debate, March 7, 2008;

• The Ministry of Foreign Trade & International Cooperation (MOFTIC) – written brief to the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Foreign Relations on August 2007;

• MOFTIC’s presentation to the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on Foreign Relations, 2008;

• The EPA Public Awareness Project on April-May 2007 that included the following: the Chambers of Commerce in Georgetown, West Demerara, Anna Regina, Central Corentyne, Upper Corentyne, New Amsterdam, Lethem and Linden.

• Seminar on the Rules of Origin for the Public and Private Sectors of Guyana held on January 25-26, 2007;

• MOFTIC made a presentation in Parliament on April 29, 2004 to commence the CARIFORUM – EC Negotiations and the Negotiation Schedule;

• EPA impact assessment on goods and services, October 2003;

• CRNM/MOFTIC hosted a one-day seminar on October 14, 2002 that included the following: Public Sector, MFA, MoA, MINTIC, GNBS, MoF, MLA, BoG, New GMC, GFC, GRDB, the PSC, Association of Regional Chambers of Commerce, GMSA, Guyana Shipping Association, Guyana Craft Association, Guyana Rice Producers’ Association, Guyana Consumers’ Association, Guyana Small Business Association, SAC, THAG, TUC, NAACI and GAWU, Banks DIH, DDL, Barama, and Toolsie Persaud;

• Guyana hosted the first Caribbean Regional Seminar on EPAs on February 14, 2002.

I have only listed a few aspects of Guyana’s progress reports and consultations over the last five years. And that Government did present the public with information on the EPA.

A number of commentators, armed without knowledge of these report cards and consultations, now want information on the following: those people who are opposed to the EPA should say what the problems are with this EPA.

President Bharrat Jagdeo has been the only CARICOM Head who has incisively exposed the deficiencies of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

This President and Government have not done this once, but over the life of the EPA negotiation process.
And so, here are some problems with the EPA, as outlined by President Jagdeo: insertion of the ‘Singapore issues’; incorporation of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause; no provision to speak to supply-side inadequacies; and the lack of a ‘development’ dimension.

It is unfortunate that CARICOM Heads may not have perceived the deleterious consequences of the ‘Singapore issues’ on the Caribbean region; but on the question of the ‘Singapore issues’ alone, CARIFORUM needs to call for postponement of the ‘inking’ as the ACP Summit recommended last Friday, and make room for some EPA renegotiation.

And incidentally, it is not merely governments that oppose the current EPA, but civil society like the Citizens’ Network for Reviewing the EPA, and international trade unions as the ITUC and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
Prem Misir

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PNCR’s storyline on the EPA not factual

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