Services Trade Liberalisation in South Asia

Raihan, Selim (2013): Services Trade Liberalisation in South Asia. Forthcoming in:

Abstract

Over the last three decades, the services sector has boomed in the South Asian countries. Alongside the growth, liberalisation of the services trade too has become a critical economic agenda for these economies. Some of their services sectors have been liberalised as part of their commitment under GATS. Under the request-offer process of GATS, there have been requests from other developing and developed countries to open up services sectors of the South Asian countries. Additionally, they have also taken steps for the unilateral liberalisation of the sector. South Asian countries have also taken initiatives to liberalise trade in services among themselves. The latest development of these initiative is the South Asian Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) in 2010. This paper looks at the major issues related to the services trade liberalisation in South Asia.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Services trade liberalisation, South Asia
• Subjects: F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F13 - Trade Policy ; International Trade Organizations; F - International Economics > F1 - Trade > F15 - Economic Integration

References

Balassa, B. (1965) Trade Liberalisation and “Revealed” Comparative Advantage, The Manchester School, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 99-123

Bulmer–Thomas, V, (1982),“Input–Output Analysis in Developing Countries”, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., New York.

Chanda, R. (2011a), "Impact of Services Trade Liberalization on Employment and People Movement in South Asia". ADBI Working Paper 339. Tokyo, Asian Development Bank Institute.

Chanda, R. (2011b), "Prospects for a services agreement in South Asia: Trade, investment and development issues", Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Development Programme

Chanda, R. 2008. “Services Trade and Investment Liberalisation, and Domestic Regulation: A Summary of Six Country Studies”, CUTS International, Jaipur, India.

Kumar, P. and Jatkar, A. 2008. “Domestic Preparedness of India in Trade in Services”, Paper prepared as part of the WTO Doha Round & South Asia: Linking Civil Society with Trade Negotiations. Phase 2 Project, CUTS, Jaipur.

Raihan, S. (ed.) (2008), Domestic Preparedness of Services Trade Liberalisation in South Asia: Are South Countries Prepared for Further Trade Liberalisation, CUTS International, Jaipur, India.

Raihan, S. and Angkur, M. (2012), " Liberalization of Services Trade in South Asia", paper presented at the 5th South Asia Economic Summit, Islamabad, Pakistan, 11-13 September, 2012

Raihan, S. and Khondker, B. H. (2010), "Backward and Forward Linkages of the Textile and Clothing Industry in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan," MPRA Paper 41231, University Library of Munich, Germany.

Ratna, R. S. (2010), "Services Trade in South Asia: Contours a Liberalisation into Saftad Modalities of Liberalisation", 3rd South Asia Economic Summit, 17-19 December 2010, Kathmandu