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Information communications technology: The Mauritian experience of regulation and reform
This chapter presents the evolution of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in Mauritius and the advances made in defining clear institutional, policy, legal and regulatory frameworks which have positively influenced trade in the ICT services. The case study analyses the pre-existing conditions that facilitated competition in telecommunications thus paving the way to making ICT a key pillar for the development of the Mauritian economy through its Cyber Island Strategy. The study also reviews the prominent role played by the sector ministry and the ICT regulator in fostering widespread application of modern technologies and reporting on the ensuing economic benefits for the country.
Obstacles commerciaux à la participation des PME au commerce
La section D examine les principaux obstacles commerciaux à la participation des PME au commerce. L’une des principales conclusions de cette section est que tous les types de coûts du commerce, qu’ils soient fixes ou variables, nuisent à la capacité des PME de participer au commerce, plus que pour les grandes entreprises. Étant donné que les PME ont plus de mal que les grandes entreprises à surmonter les obstacles au commerce, elles bénéficient beaucoup plus de leur élimination. Il est donc important de comprendre quels sont ces obstacles.
Services liberalization, negotiations and regulation: Some lessons from the GATS experience
The services economy has been undergoing a major transformation over the last three decades, moving away from the old model, where services were more often than not government functions provided by public utility entities, towards a new paradigm of private, sector-led, competitive markets, where services are exchanged on a commercial basis. Accordingly, the role of governments has fundamentally changed in many activities from being the provider of the service into that of the supervisor or regulator in pursuit of public interests. Increasingly, services markets continue to be liberalized, motivated by the usual gains from competition (better quality, lower prices, wider choices, expanding markets and more job creation).
Balancing legal certainty with regulatory flexibility
The concept of legal certainty is a central element of most legal systems in the world (Maxeiner 2008: 28). It can be associated with the rule of law, but variations exist concerning its exact contours and its relative importance vis-à-vis other fundamental legal principles. In particular, legal certainty is often contrasted with principles of justice or rightfulness (von Arnauld 2006: 638). Indeed, a formal understanding of legal certainty which focuses on issues of stability and consistency does not guarantee a fair and just outcome. More fundamentally, even though legal certainty is one of the most effective safeguards against governmental and administrative arbitrariness, it offers no protection against unjust or unfair laws. How can the potential for conflict between legal certainty and justice be solved?
Cooperative approaches to promoting SME participation in trade
The previous sections of this report identified the benefits that SMEs derive from participating in international trade (Section C) and the obstacles they face (Section D). This section discusses existing international cooperative approaches that directly or indirectly facilitate SMEs’ participation in trade. These include SMErelated initiatives in regional trade agreements (RTAs), in regional institutions (e.g. the African Development Bank) and in multilateral institutions (e.g. the World Bank), as well as in the WTO.
General introduction
This Note has been produced at the request of the Council for Trade in Services in the framework of the review of the Air Transport Annex which stipulates in paragraph 5 that “the Council for Trade in Services shall review periodically, and at least every five years, developments in the air transport sector and the operation of this Annex with a view to considering the possible further application of the Agreement in this sector”. The Secretariat has been asked by Council for Trade in Services to update document S/C/W/59, dated 5 November 1998 and document S/C/W/129, dated 15 October 1999.
Introducción
Los servicios se han convertido en el sector más dinámico del comercio mundial, pero por vías que no siempre se reconocen ni se comprenden. Así como han llegado a dominar muchas economías nacionales, los servicios también desempeñan un papel más importante en la economía mundial. Aunque esto se debe a muchos factores, como el consumo, la liberalización y la inversión, el factor determinante es la tecnología. Servicios que antes eran difíciles de comercializar, porque solo podían prestarse físicamente, son cada vez más fáciles de comercializar, porque pueden prestarse digitalmente. En el Informe sobre el Comercio Mundial 2019 se examina esta globalización de los servicios: por qué se produce, de qué modo está afectando a las economías y dónde es necesario introducir nuevos enfoques de política.
A reader’s guide to basic GATS concepts and negotiations
The purpose of this appendix is to provide the reader with an overview of key concepts used in negotiations on trade in services. Many of these concepts find their origin in the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services, which has served as the model for the services chapters contained in many preferential trade agreements. Reference to other concepts not pertaining to the GATS, but nevertheless necessary to understand other negotiating models, is made whenever appropriate. The appendix also provides an overview of current services negotiations within the WTO Doha Development Agenda.
Introduction
Trade Profiles contain detailed information on merchandise trade flows, including top products traded by each economy, an expanded section on trade in commercial services, as well as statistics on intellectual property. The information, available for WTO Members, Observers, and other selected economies, is derived from multiple domains, such as customs statistics, national accounts, Balance of Payments statistics, Foreign AffiliaTes Statistics (FATS), and industrial property statistics. Data are sourced from WTO Secretariat and external sources and presented in standardized and visualized format for quick reference.
The liberalization of energy services: Are PTAs more energetic than the GATS?
Energy is an indispensable component of daily life. It gives us light, allows us to cook our food and heat – or cool – our homes, and transports us on road, rail, or water, or in the air. It underpins all economic activities. A lack of reliable and affordable energy supply affects human welfare and economic development. The importance of this sector for social and economic life, coupled with the specificities of energy trade, have led governments to be directly involved in the provision of energy goods and services. Until the beginning of the 1990s the structure of the energy sector left limited room for private operators. The market was dominated by large, vertically integrated state-owned utilities, which were responsible for the whole chain, from exploration and production to marketing and sale to the final consumer; trade in energy was seen essentially as trade in goods, in which services were a value added element. Moreover, many countries endowed with energy resources were not members of the GATT/WTO.