WTO team currently in Dominica to conduct review

A team from the World Trade Organization (WTO) is currently in Dominica to conduct a trade policy review.

This was according to a statement by Director of Trade, Matthan Walter.

He said the Commonwealth of Dominica, being a member of the WTO from its birth in 1995, is subject to a WTO trade policy review every six years as a developing member-state.

Walter revealed that the last such trade policy review was conducted in 2014.

“The emergence of the Covid-19 Pandemic has stagnated the commencement of the review, however presently it has been concluded that a state of readiness exists to do so,” he said. “The usual protocol for the conduct of this review is to pursue it within the construct of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).”

Furthermore, he said member-states party to the Revised Treaty of Basseterre will therefore be visited over a period of two days each by a team of the WTO Secretariat which is housed in Geneva.

Walter pointed out that the objective of the review includes facilitating the smooth functioning of the multilateral trading system by enhancing the transparency of member-states where their existing trade policies are concerned.

He explained that the trade policy review, therefore, will involve an exploration of the legislative and regulatory amendment, fiscal incentives granted, bilateral trade arrangements and agreements, trade policies by a measure which include the customs and excise division administrative procedures, trade policies by sectors- the agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

“The review will focus on the years 2013 to 2020,” Walter stated.

He continued, “In preparation for this review the WTO secretariat has prepared a report for feedback and commenced by member-states in advance of the review.”

He went on to state that the review will afford Dominica the opportunity to share its perspectives regarding its participation in the WTO and to ensure that its trade policy is in accordance with the rules, disciplines, and principles of this organization.

Walter mentioned that stakeholders who will be consulted include the Ministry of Finance, Invest Dominica Authority, the Customs and Excise Division, the Quarantine Division in the Ministry of Agriculture , the Dominica Association of Industry and Commerce (DAIC), the Digital Economy Stakeholders and many other stakeholders who are involved one way or another in the conduct of trade.

He added that the Ministry of Trade  will reach out accordingly to the media to provide a synopsis and post the review oftwhat has been done, “ some of the matter that has been properly discussed so that we can of course ensure that our citizens are made aware of what has been happening on their behalf through the Ministry of Trade and  by extension the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica.”

 

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3 Comments

  1. Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
    October 20, 2022

    The world trade organization is the international organization whose primary purpose is to open trade for the benefit of all.
    So, it’s about the trading of manufacture goods, of all kinds, including processed can foods; intellectual property, and other services from participating countries; and providing an essential negotiating, and underline concept.

    If the concept is about trading manufactured, or as in Dominica’s case it has to be some local product; I wonder what do we produce to be traded?

    As of now the only product which came to my mind is the nations passports, both diplomatic, and the regular travel passports: more money derives from the diplomatic ones!

    Walter, you have absolutely nothing to trade, not unless you have some of the bananas you said you need a scientific way to farm; I suppose you got it now from the genetically altered plants which cannot grow without chemicals, and not producing “sucker plants.”

    You know,the ones imported from France!

  2. Just Asking
    October 19, 2022

    Point of this exercise? Sounds like you are kids and have to be beaten to stay in line, otherwise after they’ve taken everything you have, you don’t get aid?

  3. Review This
    October 19, 2022

    What needs reviewing is not whether we staying in line or not, is the bullying of poor nations using the WTO’s Free Trade & Fair Trade agreements that are neither free nor fair. By those agreements the bully countries subsidize
    their own farmers, and, made it illegal for poor countries to subsidize their own, taking away their ability to FEED their own countries. We see the starvation and misery the WTO has orchestrated ther world over. Who Knows it Feels it.

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