Four-member committee to look into GSP+ concession
Lakshmi DE SILVA
There was a great deal of misunderstanding about the GSP+ concession
to the apparel industry but President Mahinda Rajapaksa had appointed a
four member ministerial sub - committee to look into the GSP+
concession. The Government is not prepared to allow any external forces
to conduct any inquiry in the country to consider giving the concession
which could be an interference with the sovereignty and dignity of the
country, said Export Development and International Trade Minister Prof
G.L.Peiris addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing Thursday. We
were able to defeat terrorism under a well planned strategy but no
country believed that we could defeat the LTTE. Under the GSP+
concession 7,200 varieties of goods could be exported duty free to all
EU countries. The greatest benefit from the concession would be to
working women in the rural sector.
"At this juncture when our economy is growing rapidly with peace
achieved denying the GSP+ concession would be a deprivation of human
rights of the low income groups of people in the country. The four
member ministerial sub-committee was continuing a dialogue with all
parties concerned including employers, and trade unions. The Ambassador
for the European Union based in Brussels is also continuing a dialogue
with the EU," the Minister said.
Though the GSP+ concession is useful to the country, the Government
is not prepared to get it at whatever cost but with dignity and honour
for the country and we would at all costs safeguard the Armed Forces
even at the cost of our lives," Prof Peiris said. |