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116 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA construction industry in the country. 6 The CDB is responsible for registration, classification and monitoring of consultants, contractors, and their performance. There is nothing in its rules and regulations which could suggest the presence of any discriminatory provisions. Since the country heavily depends on other countries’ assistance in the area of construction particularly on India there does not seem to be any explicit discriminatory provisions. Current development theories contend that infrastructure together with integration into the world economy is essential for economic development (UNESCAP 2003). Small countries such as Bhutan face considerable challenges, as the cost of infrastructure provision is very high, and successful integration is constrained by several structural and locational problems associated with smallness and remoteness. The high costs of infrastructure provision makes small countries heavily dependent on external assistance for capital investments. Bhutan should undertake liberal commitments in the sector that will help it improve its infrastructure. This will have very positive implications for tourism services. It should also make its Mode 4 regime liberal so that other South Asian countries can gain market access for their professionals and workers. This will improve the overall quality of labour in the country and may lead to skill enhancement in the local labour. Other Regulations Affecting Trade in Construction Services Recognition As already noted, Article VII of GATS specifies that for the fulfillment of its standards, licensing or certification of service suppliers, a member may recognise the education and experience obtained or licenses or certification granted in a country. This article thus urges members to recognise the educational or other qualifications of service suppliers of other countries. Recognition related issues are of crucial significance to developing countries including South Asian ones as lack of such recognition of professional qualifications can act as a formidable barrier to providing services especially via movement of natural persons. As per the provision of this article, members have an obligation to notify the Council for Trade in Services (CTS) of existing recognition agreements as well as new ones that are negotiated. However, it appears that not all such agreements are notified. It can therefore be argued 6 About the CDB, http://www.cdb.gov.bt/aboutcdb.htm, last visited on 24 October 2007. that adequate opportunity is not being provided to other members to indicate their interests in participating in these negotiations. In view of the ineffectiveness of notification obligations one would tend to consider this article as any other best endeavour clause (Kumar 2005). Further, the problem is that there is no provision for mandated review or negotiation on this article to make desired improvement. Perhaps the most important domestic policy issue to be addressed relates to the recognition of qualifications. Lack of recognition of qualifications often constitutes a major barrier to entry by South Asian service suppliers, who are largely outside existing recognition initiatives and thus at a disadvantage in various services where licensing and certification requirements apply to entry (Chanda 2005). However, India has made an historical attempt by having taken some steps in this direction in its agreement with Singapore- CECA. The CECA has a list of professionals and both parties are expected to recognise their qualifications. In the context of South Asia it is suggested that a similar exercise should be carried out. However, here apart from professionals, the list must also include less skilled and semiskilled workers. At the South Asian level developing MRAs with a view to recognising qualifications of engineers, architects, town planners, and all other skilled or semiskilled workers will be immensely beneficial to the South Asian countries in facilitating trade in construction services. Having the precedence of India–Singapore agreement and an agreement in the pipeline with Sri Lanka, developing MRAs in the sector may not be that daunting. One bilateral agreement will enable the region to apply it to all other countries. The most important point is that since Mode 4 is the most restricted mode at the regional level the gains will also be most from liberalising it and MRAs would play an instrumental role in facilitating the presence of natural persons. However, since the issue of MRAs is complex it deserves more detailed discussion and accordingly, this has been discussed in the Chapter 5. Classification issue: In view of related professional services being placed under the business services sector under W/120 classification, Cuba argues that members should hold discussions within the purview of the existing interrelationship between the construction and related engineering services sector and the professional services sector with regard to architectural services, engineering services, integrated engineering services and
CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED ENGINEERING SERVICES 117 urban planning and landscape architectural services, to examine possible definitions which would enable services related to this sector to be more comprehensive and focused. Therefore, the two sectors namely, construction and related engineering services sector and professional services as listed under the business services sector such as engineering, and architectural, urban planning should be put together for the purpose of undertaking commitments as these sectors are closely interlinked. In the South Asian context it could be suggested that while undertaking commitments in construction services, SAFTA member countries should also cover the related professional services. CONCLUSION Under the GATS regime the construction and related engineering services sector appears to be most liberal in India among South Asian countries. Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are the other countries from the region that have undertaken or offered to undertake commitments in the sector. Bangladesh and the Maldives have no commitments in the sector. However, Bhutan is said to have offered liberal market access commitments in the sector. As already suggested, all SAFTA member countries should undertake wider and deeper commitments in the sector in order to gain from the liberalisation. Mode 4 regime should be made fully liberal so that all could gain. Finally, all countries must work hard to negotiate MRAs and make earnest efforts to have a conducive visa regime for smooth movement of service providers in the sector.
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QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECO
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QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECO
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Preface Our consultations with seni
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viii CONTENTS 7. Revenue and Welfar
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Executive Summary OBJECTIVE This st
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xiii Table 1 EAMA
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xv India A full S
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xvii indicates th
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xix ments on basi
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Part I BENEFITS FROM TRADE, INVESTM
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4 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM E
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10 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM
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2 Literature Review and Rationale f
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4 Effective Additional Market Acces
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6 Impact of SAFTA on Member Countri
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7 Revenue and Welfare Implications
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8 Impact of SAFTA on Inward and Out
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APPENDICES
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Appendix 8 Intra SAARC FDI Collabor
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Appendix 11 Table A11.1 On an Emplo
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Appendix 12 Original Commitments/In
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Appendix 14 Table A14.1 Telecommuni
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Appendix 15 REFERENCE PAPER Scope T
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Bibliography Abelson, P. (1996),
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 241 Cuba (2002), Negot
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 243 (2004), Impacts of
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 245 Silva, Patricia an
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 247 (1998), Tourism Se
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