 |
|
| Kathmandu, Wednesday December 31, 2003 Paush 16, 2060. |
|
WTO membership essential
This is in response to Dr Shreedhar Gautam’s article
“Democracy in danger” (December 25). The readers would have definitely preferred
if Gautam had argued in favour of Nepal’s recent accession to the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), as the membership would go a long way in promoting free trade and help
the country to better integrate with the global economy. WTO membership for Nepal is
essential as the organization is a melting pot of open societies willing to trade more
frequently and freely. As nations open up their markets, they tend to become more
democratic, not less. Rules-based free trade, promoted by the WTO, helps strengthen
democracy, and not vice-versa. Examples of Chile, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, South
Korea and Mexico substantiate this contention. Besides, WTO’s promise of rules-based
free trade offers the best hope for lifting millions of the world’s poorest citizens
out of poverty, which should really be a priority issue for a country like ours, where
about 42 percent of the population still live under the poverty line.
Hira Thapa
Baneshwor, Kathmandu
Other Story
|
