Business Times

Calls for dialogue over GSP+

Trade unions offer to intervene

Trade unions on Friday offered to intervene in the dispute over GSP + trade concessions which reached a critical stage after the European Union (EU) issued a July 1 ‘receive or not’ ultimatum to the Sri Lankan government .

“We are always there to help and intervene through our influential European trade union partners to resolve any dispute,” said Anton Marcus, General Secretary of the Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees' Union, whose member-workers would suffer the most if the zero-duty concessions are not extended.

On Tuesday, the EU told the government that it would extend the concessions for another six months (till December 2010)) if a written undertaking is given by July 1 of implementing a series of measures, much of which are part of the general rules governing the approval of GSP+ concessions for a second round, after the first round ended in December 2008. Sri Lanka ceases to receive this concession from August 15, 2010.

If the government fails to respond by July 1, exporters would have to revert back to reduced duty concessions under the normal GSP. External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and his cabinet colleague, Keheliya Rambukwella told separate news briefings that the government would not bow down to the EU demands which impacts on the country’s sovereignty. The written undertaking includes release of political prisoners, abrogation of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and appointment of independent commissions, all of which Prof Peiris says is unacceptable.

Top apparel industry exporters also agreed that the conditions laid down by the EU were too harsh. “I don’t think this is acceptable and something the government could accept,” said one industrialist, who owns several factories.

Minister Rambukwella told reporters that the government has a fall-back plan in case GSP+ concessions are refused but didn’t give details. However Central Bank Deputy Governor K.G. Dheerasinghe told the Business Times that the loss, if it amounts to that, of these concessions is unlikely to have any adverse reaction. “In recent time, the export sector has enjoyed falling interest rates, a stable exchange rate and lower inflation making our exports very price-competitive against (low cost) competitors like Vietnam or Bangladesh (in garments),” he said, adding that the possible loss of US$150 million is not a very serious issue.

Trade unionist Marcus said both sides (the EU and the government) had unnecessarily got into an ‘attacking’ mode and hoped that a saner counsel will prevail. “There is a need for dialogue instead of fighting. But it is the responsibility of the government, as it promised to do in 2005, to give an undertaking that it would implement the many UN conventions. That was promised and has not been done,” he said.

While the loss of GSP+ could hurt markets and long-term goodwill, it is unlikely to lead to job losses as speculated earlier. The garment industry is particular is short of 10,000 to15,000 workers - in a workforce of around 300,000. Last week the Busines Times reported how recruitment teams from companies were ‘hanging out’ at a bus station at the Katunayake FTZ persuading workers to join their companies.

Top to the page  |  E-mail  |  views[1]
SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend
 
Other Business Times Articles
Calls for dialogue over GSP+
Cargills mulls Rs 400 million rice-bran oil project
MBSL to create rural business tycoons
SLT’s new board meets July 6
Luxury villas on isolated islands
Time to list state enterprises: Capital market expert
Child labour or necessary evil?
Comment - GSP+: Change the negotiators
Feature - CEPA or no CEPA?
Feature - Hazardous materials, isolation/evacuation methods and incident management
Plantations Minister targets trade barriers against Ceylon Tea
Islamic finance growing and running parallel to conventional finance
HP printers and desktops most used in SL corporates
EU increases aid to Rs.8.4billion for 'Renewed Partnership’ with Sri Lanka
Commercial Bank customers get discounts to lease TATAs from DIMO
Digital bathroom in SL ‘very soon’
New appointments of Asst. Governors at Central Bank
Ending worst forms of child labour by 2016
Asian Finance, F&G to implement new deposit refund schemes
IATA BSP scheme suffocates Sri Lankan Travel Agents
Low cost ‘flydubai’ starts Colombo flights
Deterring dengue
Asian Marketing Guru made Honorary Fellow of SLIM
PC House re-branded as PCH
LOLC wins Best Annual Report award by ADFIAP
John Keells receives high marks for sustainability disclosures
Harassment worse than terrorism for tourists to SL - new THASL president
tomorrow EDUCATION: Personalised and immediate
SMB posts net profit of Rs 158 mn. in year of consolidation
FCCISL workshop on UCP 600 and URDG 758
WSO2 launches 100% Open Source Cloud Platform
Odel's July IPO offers 11.52% stake
SL clothes, fresh food, textiles and electronic components globally competitive
YBSL supports Youth Entrepreneurs in Jaffna
SEC’s market microstructure enforcement delayed by a month
Environmental Assessment report for the North-East projects
CBL records 900% growth in the last decade
Japanese aid to boost agricultural productivity in Sri Lanka
Maliban Biscuit goes rural with a world class quality award
PUCSL to study off-peak hour power tariffs
Public servants in the Maldives highest paid in South Asia
'X' Detectives - Fighting Crime in Sri Lanka
Rapid progress at Oluvil port
Bank of Ceylon Debentures received over Rs.5 bln subscription
UNIDO steps in to develop SMEs in North-East

 

 
Reproduction of articles permitted when used without any alterations to contents and a link to the source page.
© Copyright 2010 | Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Colombo. Sri Lanka. All Rights Reserved.| Site best viewed in IE ver 6.0 @ 1024 x 768 resolution