Agriculture is the most valuable sector affected by trade liberalisation. If The Bahamas continues to be a net food-importing country, then this sector will be wiped out, said Chairman of the FTAA Consultative Group on Agriculture, Mr. Godfrey Eneas.
He told scores of Bahamians at a FTAA town meeting on Monday, that approximately 85 percent of all food consumed in the country is imported.
Mr. Eneas was among the resource panelists at the meeting responding to particular points of interest made in the presentations. Other panelists included Helen Ebong, Franklyn Kemp and John Rolle.
Market access is a major concern among Bahamian producers, and Mr. Eneas said a cheap food policy has been adopted by some distributors who believe the country will always be in position to import what is needed to feed itself.
“I think that this is a flawed policy. I think that we have seen the implications of it and the fact that we are 85 percent in need of imported food, we have become what is called a ‘net food importing country,'” Mr. Eneas said.
“If Bahamian producers are to survive in this trade-liberalised world, we are going to have to adopt the tactics of the Americans in protecting what we produce and our producers,” he said.
Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mrs. Ebong, highlighted what she called “main issues” that arose from the meeting discussions.
She said that trade openers can be viewed as vital means of improving the lives of the citizens across the spectrum and a major instrument for strengthening democracy in the countries of the Western Hemisphere.
Mrs. Ebong said consultations, negotiations and preparations for trade liberalisation are important mechanisms for expanding education, and full participation of civil society.
With regard to special and differential treatment, its language and levels of development in the economies should be emphasised more because the language has been discussed and analysed by CARICOM throughout the agreement, Mrs Ebong said.
“When we talk abut special and differential treatment it reflects and addresses the particular needs and concerns of developing economies such as ours,” she said.
“The language we talk about, really means greater flexibility to accept or not to accept certain obligations under the trading systems whether it is the WTO or the FTAA.”
She said it provides technical assistance to build the capacity needed for full participation in FTAA discussions. Considering enhanced market access, Mrs. Ebong said there is a perception of market access being one-way with greater access to developing countries.
“With the special and differential provision, we can really focus our attention and insist on enhanced market access for smaller economies to developing nations,” she said.
Minister of Trade and Industry Leslie Miller said the Government would not sign an agreement with disadvantages for The Bahamas.
However, Dr. Richard Bernal, Director-General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, said there would be no FTAA agreement if consensus is not present.
Other panelists he said, have indicated that an FTAA agreement is inevitable. He also observed that there will also be bilateral and multilateral agreements.
Controller of Customs, John Rolle said the process must have consensus but it is also true that in the event a specific participating country disagrees with any part of the agreement, allowance is made to abstain or withdraw from total agreement.
Permission is also given to participate in a bilateral or multilateral agreement that should not exceed the constraints put in place by the WTO agreement.
“There is a possibility where we can desire an agreement among ourselves and other nations, but not necessarily the FTAA,” he said. “What the FTAA is meant to be, is to bring about improved development. It is meant to take place in a transparent fashion.
“We must now ensure that we look at any part of the basic WTO agreement and examine within that agreement what we might find ourselves disadvantaged by and also put forward as soon as possible what we consider to be of a greater benefit in the negotiating process.”
Lead representative for the Government Procurement Team of the FTAA negotiations, Franklyn Kemp in expressing his role as a negotiator, said it is often difficult to represent the country without knowing the basic views of the people.
Because the private sector is where most trading is done, Mr. Kemp encouraged those with vested interest in the negotiations to make their positions known. To do this would enable negotiators to present those positions during consultations.
“What this basically means is that I need to know from you what you want me to convey to them,” he said. “Unless I know that, I will not be comfortable when dealing with the other 33 countries.”
Mr. Kemp invited people in manufacturing and distributing to share their concerns about what they would like to sell the Government instead of having someone else supply it.
“We do have some latitude in that respect; it may not last forever, so there is some sufficient time for your own capacity-building in order to come to strength to be able to compete at the level necessary,” he said.
By Lisa Albury, The Nassau Guardian
