Nadir reports…
THE second review of Guyana’s trade policy was successfully completed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, between July 8 and 10. Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon told the media at his weekly briefing on Thursday, that Minister of Labour, Mr. Manzoor Nadir intimated it to Cabinet and will report at length on his return.

The Guyana delegation to the forum was led by Nadir and supported by Ambassador to Brussels, Belgium, Dr. Patrick Gomes; Mr. Neville Totaram, Coordinator of NACEN; Mr. Andreas Lendle, Trade Economist from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation; Mr. Gregory Downes, Trade Policy Attaché in the Brussels Embassy and Mr. Sheldon Mc Lean, Regional Trade Policy Advisor, CARICOM Secretariat.

Referring to the support group, Luncheon said: “It will be of interest to know that those gentlemen contributed to the completion of preparations for the review.”

He said national preparations for WTO process commenced in July 2008 and were coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, involving wide ranging inter-agency consultations and two visits by a technical team from the WTO Secretariat to Georgetown, over the period.

“Essentially, the review reflected the Guyana position in the various sectors on trade policy both for export and import commodities and the rules and the regulations governing that trade,” Luncheon explained.

He said, in his opening statement on July 8, Minister Nadir gave an overview of the policy initiatives taken by the Government since the first review in 2003, under the watch of then Minister with the Foreign Trade portfolio, Mr. Clement Rohee.

Luncheon said, after Nadir spoke, several member countries took the opportunity to seek clarifications on various aspects of the trade policy and to congratulate Guyana on the undertaking.

Luncheon reported that the delivery was well received by the WTO membership and many countries, including Brazil, China, Japan, Canada, the United States and the European Union, as well as CARICOM Member States Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Haiti, Jamaica and St. Lucia, on behalf of the Organisation of Eastern and Caribbean States (OECS), commended the country for the level of economic growth achieved between 2003 and 2008 and its efforts at trade reform and economic diversification.

A regular review of each WTO member’s trade policy and practices is done by the Secretariat, with the aim of increasing transparency and improving adherence to rules, disciplines and commitments made under the different agreements.