Report

More documents

Recommendations

Info

162 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA • However with regard to nursing and dental, there is no information on whether other SAARC countries have recognised degrees from each other. • There are no explicit requirements for citizenship or residency to register with the relevant authorities for practicing the profession of medicine or dentistry in the relevant SAARC member. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Overview The inclusion of services within the SAFTA framework presents several challenges and opportunities for the SAARC countries. Such an inclusion holds potential not just for ensuring greater intra-SAARC trade, but also holds the potential of raising the levels of competitiveness in the South Asian region as a whole. It has been estimated that the availability of services (especially tourism, health, education, and labour) within the SAARC region will help to attract consumers from other parts of the world, and that an advanced services infrastructure within the region will boost the regions’ share in global services trade. 60 For facilitating this, several developments to liberalise both within each country, and at the regional level, will be necessary. With respect to health services, as already discussed, there are very few regulatory constraints in the SAARC countries in respect of investments in the health sector. The regulatory framework in each country is also conducive to arrangements for recognition of foreign medical and dental qualifications. There are no regulatory constraints on movement of patients from one country to another for treatment. However, there are several other issues pertaining to supply of services under each mode, which need to be addressed as part of the negotiations. These are summarised below. Recommendation 1: Investment Related Aspects Affecting Health Services, i.e. Mode 3 Service Delivery • Address upgrading commitments to autonomous levels: One of the aspects that comes out from the discussions in this chapter is that while none of the SAARC countries have committed Mode 3 in ‘hospital services’ as an area for complete liberalisation under the GATS framework, each of the countries has achieved significant autonomous liberalisation in this Mode, and there are practically no regulatory impediments to Mode 3 in the regulatory framework of these countries. Only Maldives and Bhutan require specific government approval for joint ventures in the hospital sector. In all the other countries, 100% FDI is allowed. As part of the SAARC negotiations, the upgrading of the GATS commitments to the autonomous levels achieved in the member countries, should, therefore, be an aspect for discussion. • Address Investment-related operational constraints at national and regional levels: Operational constraints to investment need to be dealt with at the national level as a matter of legal and institutional reform. While this process needs to be undertaken at both the national and regional levels, investment related provisions investment related provisions under SAFTA could provide certain obligatory provisions offering special protection for foreign investors. • Constitution of a working group to address FDI related barriers: The SAFTA currently does not envisage a chapter on Investment. It however mandates the SAFTA members to consider removing barriers to intra-SAARC investments. 61 Constraints to FDI as identified above could therefore be studied and attempt to be addressed under a joint working group of the SAARC members. Recommendation 2: MRAs for Recognition of Medical and Dental Degrees between SAARC Members There are a number of similarities in the regulatory frameworks for recognition of qualifications and licensing of professionals in medicine, dentistry and nursing. Reciprocal arrangements for recognition of medical degrees exist among India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. With respect to Maldives and Bhutan, these countries seem to recognise medical degrees at least from India and Sri Lanka. Internship and other work experience requirements for qualification are also similar in all the countries. There are no constraints in terms of citizenship and residency requirements in the regulatory framework. 60 See, Shivraj Bhatt, “Services under SAFTA: How to make it work for South Asia?” Nepalnews.com, September 6, 2006, available at http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=5780 61 Article 8, Agreement on SAFTA.
H EALTH AND RELATED SERVICES 163 To formalise the movement of doctors across SAARC countries, therefore, it may be desirable to have mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) on recognition of qualifications for doctors, dentists and nurses. Such MRAs will have a positive impact in facilitating service delivery through both Modes 1 and 4. At a minimum, such MRAs should address the following aspects: • Ensure that the relevant medical, dental and nursing councils from each SAARC country recognise medical and dental qualifications provided in other SAARC countries. As a first step, such recognition may be confined to degrees awarded only by specific institutions in each of the countries, and may subsequently be reviewed and expanded to a larger list of institutions • Recognition of qualifications needs to be accompanied by streamlining the process of application for registration with the relevant councils. An aspect to be explored is whether recognition by a medical, dental or nursing council in any SAARC member can be automatically recognised by the relevant council in another SAARC member. This would mean, for instance, that a doctor qualified and registered with the medical council of India need not go to each SAARC member and complete the registration formalities in such member; but will be automatically recognised in such member by virtue of his/her membership of the medical council of India. • Such an MRA should also address standards of service delivery. Recommendation 3: Measures to Encourage Mode 2 in Health Services Delivery As discussed in this chapter, there are no regulatory constraints for mode 2 delivery of services. However, factors such as lack of insurance portability limits access for a service consumer. This needs to be addressed at the level of each member state. • Ensure portability of insurance coverage and recognition of foreign medical degrees by insurance companies: This aspect needs to be addressed at the national level in each SAARC member. The agreement between the SAARC members should recognise this as a key factor for development of Mode 2 supply of service. Each member should also undertake to ensure that health insurance service providers within their territories extend the coverage for treatment in any SAARC country. • Provide expedited Medical Visas: ‘Medical visas’ as a separate category is recognised under the Indian regulations pertaining to Immigration and Visas. Expedited mechanisms for consideration and grant of medical visas between all SAARC members needs to be considered.
Page 3 and 4:
QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECO
Page 5 and 6:
QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM ECO
Page 7:
Preface Our consultations with seni
Page 10 and 11:
viii CONTENTS 7. Revenue and Welfar
Page 13 and 14:
Executive Summary OBJECTIVE This st
Page 15 and 16:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xiii Table 1 EAMA
Page 17 and 18:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xv India A full S
Page 19 and 20:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xvii indicates th
Page 21 and 22:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xix ments on basi
Page 23:
Part I BENEFITS FROM TRADE, INVESTM
Page 26 and 27:
4 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM E
Page 28 and 29:
Page 30 and 31:
Page 32 and 33:
10 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM
Page 34 and 35:
Page 36 and 37:
Page 38 and 39:
Page 40 and 41:
Page 42 and 43:
Page 44 and 45:
Page 46 and 47:
2 Literature Review and Rationale f
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
Page 52 and 53:
Page 54 and 55:
Page 56 and 57:
Page 58 and 59:
Page 60 and 61:
4 Effective Additional Market Acces
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 66 and 67:
Page 68 and 69:
Page 70 and 71:
6 Impact of SAFTA on Member Countri
Page 72 and 73:
Page 74 and 75:
Page 76 and 77:
7 Revenue and Welfare Implications
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
8 Impact of SAFTA on Inward and Out
Page 84 and 85:
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
9 Quantification of Benefits from T
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 115:
Part II BENEFITS FROM DEEPENING INT
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
11 Construction and Related Enginee
Page 128 and 129:
Page 130 and 131:
Page 132 and 133:
Page 134 and 135: 112 QUANTIFICATION OF BENEFITS FROM
Page 140 and 141: 12 Tourism and Travel Related Servi
Page 172 and 173: 14 Health and Related Services 1 IN
Page 186 and 187: 15 Prospects for the Telecommunicat
Page 223: APPENDICES
Page 234 and 235:
Page 236 and 237:
Appendix 8 Intra SAARC FDI Collabor
Page 238 and 239:
Appendix 11 Table A11.1 On an Emplo
Page 240 and 241:
Appendix 12 Original Commitments/In
Page 242 and 243:
Page 244 and 245:
Page 246 and 247:
Page 248 and 249:
Page 250 and 251:
Page 252 and 253:
Appendix 14 Table A14.1 Telecommuni
Page 254 and 255:
Page 256 and 257:
Page 258 and 259:
Appendix 15 REFERENCE PAPER Scope T
Page 261 and 262:
Bibliography Abelson, P. (1996),
Page 263 and 264:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 241 Cuba (2002), Negot
Page 265 and 266:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 243 (2004), Impacts of
Page 267 and 268:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 245 Silva, Patricia an
Page 269 and 270:
BIBLIOGRAPHY 247 (1998), Tourism Se
show all

Report

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?