India recommends discussions at WTO on role of e-com during pandemic

Many WTO member nations have admitted the help their economies received from e-commerce during pandemic-induced lockdowns.

The ambassador suggested that this agenda item should be adopted by the General Council as a standing agenda item for every meeting, according to a news agency report.

India has been a votary of rejuvenation of the work programme on e-commerce.

The General Council, the highest decision-making body of the WTO after the ministerial conference (MC), should now start the process of convening meetings of the work programme and ensure that the original mandate is adhered to, Navnit added.

At the Nairobi Ministerial Conference in December 2015, WTO members adopted a decision on the work programme on e-commerce.

Member countries have considered the work programme at nearly all MCs. They have also agreed to continue the practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until their next ministerial conference, but India has repeatedly asked to review the issues related to the moratorium on customs duties on e-commerce trade. Since 1998, the moratorium has been extended time and again for two years.

India has also asked that the Council for Trade in Goods, Council for Trade in Services, Council for TRIPS and Committee for Trade and Development should take up discussions on e-commerce as per their respective mandates originally set.

On the proposal for a temporary waiver of certain TRIPS provisions to deal with the pandemic, Navnit has stated that time is definitely ‘not in our favour and my concern’ is that losing further time on taking a decision will render the outcome ‘ineffective’.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)