More space sought for professionals in
Singapore
NEW DELHI: India
will seek greater access for its professionals in Singapore
in areas such as
IT, health, education and finance in the upcoming
review of the bilateral agreement between the two
countries. The second review of the comprehensive economic
cooperation agreement or CECA that was rolled out in 2005 will
begin early next month.
“Although we managed to get access for some of our professionals
in Singapore as part of
the CECA, we will try to get more in the review,” a commerce
ministry official said.
Commerce department is holding consultations with the industry and
other ministries to finalise how much more it could offer
Singapore in exchange for
greater access in services.
Singapore has
already got a lot of concessions as part of India’s free trade agreement with the ten
member Asean countries.
Experts expect some incremental demands such as lower tariff
barriers for additional goods such as metals, chemicals, textiles
and capital goods.
Singapore has
already recognised some medical colleges like the All
Christian Medical
College in Vellore as part of the CECA.
Degree holders from these colleges can now practice in
Singapore as doctors without
additional local qualifications. It has also recognised some
nursing colleges in the country.
“We want that Singapore should go beyond recognising just premier colleges and a proper
mutual recognition agreement should be in place which would provide
for both countries recognising each others degrees in given
areas,” the official said.
India is, however, not going
to seek additional concessions for its banks as it is yet to take
full advantage of what is on offer as part of the original
CECA.
“The CECA allows qualified full banking status for three banks and
we have had only two banks so far (SBI and ICICI) seeking such a
status in Singapore,”
the official said.
According to Manab Majumdar of Ficci, India
has some time to zero in on exactly what it wants as
the review would go on for a year.
“The launch meeting in May will be more for setting the agenda
which will be discussed in the months ahead. Indian industry would
certainly like, among others, to seek greater market access in
the Singapore service
industry,” he said.
The agreement was first reviewed in 2007 when tariff reduction
commitments were taken for an additional 539 products by
India increasing coverage to
93% of traded goods from 83%.
The Indian industry had, initially, complained that the CECA had
resulted in a sharper increase in flow of goods from
Singapore than of exports
from India to the
country. The government could use this point to seek greater access
in services.
“Singapore already had
very low duties on its goods, so our reduction in duties was much
steeper. We expect to make gains in services and the process has
already started,” the official said.India Institute
of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/More-space-sought-for-professionals-in-Singapore/articleshow/5823303.cms
http://singaporenewsalternative.blogspot.com/2010/04/india-seek-greater-access-for-its.html