Cablegate: Wto Services Negotiations - Bangladesh

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS DHAKA 002439

SIPDIS

STATE PASS USTR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON BG WTO
SUBJECT: WTO SERVICES NEGOTIATIONS - BANGLADESH

REF: STATE 81619

1. Econoff delivered reftel points May 25 to Naziruddin
Ahmed, Director General, WTO Cell, Ministry of Commerce. The
DG said Bangladesh is working with the WTO and a private
contractor arranged for by the WTO to conduct a study of the
Bangladesh services sector, which will be used to inform
policy-makers decisions on a services offer. Individual
consultants are still being identified and the DG expects it
will be several months before the study is completed. Only
then will the BDG prepare its services offer.

2. DG Ahmed confirmed BDG commitment to make an offer. He
acknowledged that opening up Bangladesh's service sector
would provide economic beneifits for the country. That said,
he implied Bangladesh would reserve some sectors deemed
important, based on the result of the sectoral study.

THOMAS

© Scoop Media