Proposed INDIA-VIETNAM FTA + Rural Development Schemes

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NEWS Bulletin from Indian Society For Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Development ************************************ INDIA-VIETNAM FTA MOOTED--- 1. Vietnam ready to cast the net in seafood sector 2. Vietnam open to bilateral FTA - Nguyen Tan Dung supports India-ASEAN trade pact RURAL DEVELOPMENT-- 3. Non-compliance by many states hits execution of central schemes - Rural development ministry holds back funds for many districts in 20 states ----- Vietnam ready to cast the net in seafood

sector http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=169495 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, July 09, 2007 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI, JUL 8: In a run-up to the talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) between India and Vietnam, the Vietnamese seafood industry has suggested that they be allowed to fish in the Bay of Bengal. They have also said that they would like to invest in Indian seafood sector. Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dung during his visit to India last week had proposed an FTA between the two countries. He has also asked for similar favourable terms for investment by Vietnamese companies in India as Vietnam

has extended to Indian companies for investment. Dung led an 80-member strong business delegationto India. Vietnam has a competitive edge in the global market in seafood export and the Vietnam government has set an annual growth target in seafood export at 9% by 2010 which would result in export of more than 9 lakh tonne (900,000 tonne) seafood for an earning of $ 4.5 billion. Japan, the US and the EU are major destinations for Vietnamese seafood and market analyst Truong Tri Vinh has predicted that Vietnam shrimp export in 2007 will grow by 6-7% and reach $ 1.65 billion. The possible outbreak of Avian flu in poultry may switch consumers’ preference to seafood. “India is also doing well in seafood exports and if the industry in both the countries work together we can achieve better results,” said the director-general of Saigon Trading group, Huynh Van Minh. Minh also said that he would like to import buffalo meat and shrimp from India. The two-way trade between India and Vietnam touched over $ 1 billion in 2006. The trade balance is in favour of India as its exports were worth $880.28 million and imports were to the tune of only $137.84 million. Vietnam is in favour of bridging the gap in trade balance. Prime minister Dung is interested in increasing the bilateral trade to $ 2 billion by 2010. Vietnam’s major exports to India are coffee, coal, pepper, cinnamon, anise, rubber, electronics and foot wares while its major imports from India are cattlefeed, iron and steel, metals, plastics, pharmaceuticals, machinery, textile materials, chemicals and pesticides. “We are interested in tobacco and participate in the

Bangalore auction sales,” said the chairman of Vietnam National Tobacco Corporation, Nguyen Thai Sinh.------ Vietnam open to bilateral FTA Nguyen Tan Dung supports India-ASEAN trade pact http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=169232 ECONOMY BUREAU Posted online : Friday, June 06, 2007 at 0000 hours IST MUMBAI, JUL 5: Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed support for India’s ‘Look East’ policy, and also for India’s engagement with ASEAN, of which Vietnam was a member country. He mentioned the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) which India was

negotiating with ASEAN, where he assured India of all support from Vietnam. He further added that Vietnam was also open to a bilateral FTA with India. Nguyen Tan Dung was speaking at the investors conference jointly organised on Thursday by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). He invited Indian investors to come to Vietnam, given that Vietnam becoming a member of the WTO translated into a favourable environment with great opportunities being opened up. He mentioned how recently adopted laws in Vietnam sought to unify the regulatory framework for domestic and foreign enterprises as also to harmonise rules on trading rights, which had bolstered the investment climate. “This also demonstrates Vietnam’s commitment towards transformation into a market based economy,” he added. India is among the top ten investors in Vietnam , especially after the investments by the Tata Group and Essar, said the Vietnamese Prime Minister. He said his visit was “aimed towards consolidating the existing relationship between India and Vietnam, by continuing to work together, as also to ensure that the relationship remains strong and vibrant in the future.” The Vietnamese PM put forward two reasons which made Vietnam important for Indian business—one, it had a young population which was growing in numbers—this would make it ‘a big market’ in the coming days, as also the fast track economic growth in a safe liberal economic environment, which made it an attractive destination for Indian investments. However, the Vietnamese PM said the potential that existed for trade and business relations between the two traditional friendly countries was far in

excess of what it actually was at present. “We can do more to step up economic cooperation and increase investment for mutual benefit of both countries,” he added. Meanwhile, the CII and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) would collaborate under a Memorandum or Understanding (MoU) to facilitate and strengthen trade and investment between India and Vietnam. The MoU was signed today by Vu Tien Loc, chairman & president of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Syamal Gupta, member, CII National Council & chairman, Tata International Ltd.-- Non-compliance by many states hits execution of central schemes Rural development ministry holds back funds for many districts in 20 states http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=169517 ASHOK B SHARMA Posted online: Monday, July 09, 2007 at 0000 hours IST NEW DELHI: Many state governments are still not complying with norms when it comes to the implementation of centrally-sponsored schemes relating to rural employment and housing. In fact, some states have not even complied with norms relating to release of funds for district rural development agency (DRDA) administration. As a result, the release of the first instalment of funds for the current year has been withheld by the Centre for several districts in 20 states. The reasons for this being the districts’ failure to send in proposals and relevant information to the Centre as also the state governments not releasing their

share of the allocation. Most of these proposals relate to the implementation of Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY), Indira Aawas Yojana (IAY), Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) and DRDA administration. Union rural development minister, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, has now shot off letters to state chief ministers saying, ‘‘As you are aware, the central share of all centrally-sponsored programmes being implemented by this ministry is released in two instalments. The release of the first instalment is automatic and second instalment is released based on a proposal submitted by relevant documents. In case second instalment of the preceding year has not been released or released with certain conditions, then for the release of second instalment of this year, the conditions imposed during release of second instalment of the last year are required to be settled.’’ According to reports received by the rural development

ministry, Bihar has emerged as the largest non-complying state with 36 districts not complying with the norms for SGSY, seven districts not complying with IAY norms and 10 districts where proposals for DRDA administration have not been received. Next in line is Assam, from where information relating to implementation of SGSY in 23 districts has not been received. Also, the state has not released its matching share of allocation for SGRY in 10 districts, and information relating to implementation of IAY in eight districts has not been received. North-eastern states, including Assam, had earlier sought that the Centre revise the ratio of Centre-state funding as NE state do not have enough resources. However, among these states only three were found to be non-compliant—Assam, Nagaland and Meghalaya. The other non-complying states are Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and the Union territory of Pudducherry. Send free SMS to your Friends on Mobile from your Messenger. Download Now! http://messenger./download.php