WHATS NEW AT CUTS # 25

ISSUE No. 25

January 4, 2005

A monthly electronic news bulletin from CUTS International, India, to our network of friends and professionals interested about the new happenings and proceedings of CUTS in various spheres. If you wish to unsubscribe, please scroll down to the bottom of this page for more information.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

ARTICLES

Why a steel regulator makes little sense
Do Telesales Spam Telecom Users?

CUTS IN MEDIA

Towards a Functional Competition Policy for India (FunComp Project) Outreach Seminars in Various Indian Cities
February 3 –21, 2004

CUTS is currently implementing a project entitled, ‘Towards a Functional Competition Policy for India (FunComp Project)’. The main output of the project is a report comprising of 22 chapters covering systemic as well as sectoral issues. The Report would be released in a two-day international conference: ‘Moving the Competition Policy Agenda in India’ to be held in New Delhi, India on January 31 and February 1, 2005. Following the release of the FunComp Report, one-day outreach seminars would be organised in selected Indian cities from February 3-21, 2005. The selected cities are New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Banglaore, Hyderabad and Lucknow. The purpose of these outreach seminars is to create awareness among local participants, including the media about competition policy and economic regulation.

The Launch Meeting of the Project “South-South Trade & Investment Co-operation: Exploring IBSA Initiative
Johannesburg, South Africa, February 15, 2005

CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS-CITEE) is organising the launch Meeting of the Project “South-South Trade & Investment Co-operation: Exploring IBSA Initiative” in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 15, 2005.

The event is designed to involve business representatives, governments, civil society representatives and academics primarily from India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), in a one-day meeting, to deliberate on the current and future direction of trade and investment promotion amongst IBSA countries and provide inputs for the successful implementation of the project.

Project Launch Meeting: WTO Doha Round & South Asia: Linking Civil Society with Trade Negotiations
Kathmandu, Nepal, February 10-11, 2005

CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS-CITEE), in association with South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics & Environment (SAWTEE), and supported by NOVIB (OXFAM, Netherlands), is organising the launch meeting of the Project: WTO Doha Round & South Asia: Linking Civil Society with Trade Negotiations. The meeting will be held at Kathmandu, Nepal on February 10-11, 2005.

The project has been taken up with the background that the outcome of the Doha Round will have significant implications on international trade and national development. This is more so for developing countries, as international trade is increasingly linked with livelihoods and associated national development (poverty reduction) strategies. Therefore, it is important for South Asian countries to have arrived at better negotiating positions during the Doha Round of negotiations.

Given this context, the project will focus on the following five key elements of July Framework Agreement on which the Doha Round of negotiations will progress: agriculture; non-agricultural market access; development dimensions; services; and trade facilitation.

International Conference on “Moving the Competition Policy Agenda in India”
The Claridges, New Delhi, India, January 31 & February 1, 2005

CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation (CUTS-C-CIER), Jaipur, India is organising a two-day international conference “Moving the Competition Policy Agenda in India” at The Claridges, New Delhi, India on January 31 and February 1, 2005. CUTS has undertaken a research project to develop a Functional Competition Policy for India. The project report comprises of 20+ chapters covering systemic as well as sectoral issues and endeavours to assist the Government of India to come up with a Competition Policy that is ‘implementable’.

The conference is being organised to release the report and facilitate deliberations on its findings and recommendations. The meeting is structured in the form of a peer review of the Indian competition scenario and will draw out a framework to implement the Competition Policy Agenda in India.

The Final Meeting of the project “Sustainable Production in the South as a tool for enhanced market access in the North”
India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India, January 24, 2005

The Final Meeting of the project “Sustainable Production in the South as a tool for enhanced market access in the North” will be organised at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India on January 24, 2005. The meeting will present the findings of the leather Project that attempts to understand the utility of eco-labels/environment measures for increasing India’s leather footwear exports.

Investor Education and Protection Programme
Rajasthan, India, January 17 to March 23, 2004

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS-CART), in association with the Ministry of Company Affairs (MoCA) is organising the Investor Education and Protection Programme in six districts of Rajasthan: Jaipur, Bhilwara, Kota, Nagpur, Udaipur and Sikar, from January 17 to March 23, 2004. The project primarily envisages building of a network of investor protection organisations at the grassroots, by identifying potential individuals and organisations working at the grassroots and building their capacities through training workshops. These workshops will create a platform for the small investors and investor protection organisations to interact with members of the stock exchange, representatives from the regulatory authorities and other subject experts who will be invited to the workshops as resource persons.

Seminar on Regulatory Framework for Infrastructure Sector in India
New Delhi, India, January 14, 2005

The Central Government has resolved to ensure a regulatory framework for Infrastructure that is transparent, independent of the government, based on international best practices and provides an impartial balance between the private sector and the public sector suppliers. The Planning Commission has been asked to prepare a policy paper indicating the salient features of the regulatory structure for each infrastructure area.

Against this backdrop, CUTS Centre for Investment & Economic Regulation (CUTS-C-CIER) is organising a one-day seminar on ‘Regulatory Framework for Infrastructure Sector in India’ in New Delhi, India on January 4, 2005. The seminar would deliberate on the existing regulatory framework in the country and provide useful inputs to the Planning Commission and the Government of India. Participants including representatives from the government, regulatory agencies, business chambers, consumer organisations, academicians, media, researchers and consultants, etc. would engage in detailed discussions on the regulatory regime in telecom, power and transport sectors, and chalk out future strategies.

Launch Meeting of the Project: Panchayati Raj Institutions’ Support and Mobilisation Programme (PRISMO)
Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India, December 21, 2004

Under ‘Panchayati Raj Institution Support & Mobilisation’ (PRISMO) Programme, CUTS Centre for Human Development (CUTS-CHD) launched the Panchayati Raj Empowerment Programme, supported by Swiss Agency for Development & Co-operation (SDC), at Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, India on December 21, 2004. The project aimed towards the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions in line with the 73^rd Constitutional amendment and the expectations and needs of the people. The project will extend support in the implementation of the programmes by panchayats, focusing on people.

The initial phase of the project will be implemented in nine panchayats of Chittorgarh, Bhadesar and Nimbahera blocks of district Chittorgarh of Rajasthan State.

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS-CART) has organised a month-long ongoing campaign on “Road Safety” from December 15, 2004 to January 15, 2005. Some of the programmes conducted through road safety camps are: posters; stickers; banners displayed at road junctions and major roads to disseminate the message of road safety; rally by school children; press conferences and press releases; pamphlets highlighting cases of accidents due to non-wearing of helmets; to sensitise people and the policy makers alike; presenting road shows in colleges about the ill effects of not wearing helmets; signature campaigns; to ban jeeps, being used as public transport vehicles; on the spot cartoon/poster painting competition; public interest litigations; and a general message to the public that road safety is a human right.

Roundtable on “Economic Development Priorities: What Next after HIPC Completion Point and PRSP”
Hotel Intercontinental, Lusaka, Zambia, December 15, 2004

Southern Africa Poverty Network (SARPN) in partnership with CUTS-Africa Resource Centre (CUTS-ARC) organised a half-day stakeholders’ roundtable on the theme Roundtable on “Economic Development Priorities: What Next After HIPC Completion Point and PRSP” at Hotel Intercontinental, Lusaka, Zambia, December 15, 2004. The roundtable provided an opportunity to share experiences of stakeholders, which would develop a suitable advocacy platform for the civil society. Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) have to go on until poverty is eventually eradicated.

South Asian Regional Capacity Building Training Workshop on WTO
Islamabad, Pakistan, December 11-13, 2004

South Asia Watch on Trade Economics & Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal; CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS-CITEE), India; and Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad (SDPI), jointly organised the South Asian Regional Capacity Building Training Workshop on WTO in Islamabad, Pakistan, from December 11-13, 2004. The workshop was being organised under the project ‘Progressive Regional Action and Co-operation on Trade’ (PROACT), undertaken by SAWTEE. It aimed at developing capacities of the young professionals to comprehend World Trade Organisation (WTO) issues, its perspective and linkages with their work and the economy.

The business community of a country has often opposed the adoption of competition legislation, or influenced ways in which the legislation is implemented. The cover story of the latest issue of ReguLetter, the quarterly newsletter of the CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment and Economic Regulation (CUTS C-CIER) tries to capture this aspect of competition law, by drawing examples from around the world. Special articles on competition and regulations, and perspective on a relevant issue, written by experts, feature in the newsletter as well. In addition, this issue of ReguLetter presents a brief sketch of the competition law of Namibia.

The proposal to set up a steel regulator, in India, is mainly in response to the lobby of the builders who face a double-whammy due to the moves of both the cement and the steel industry. The way forward is not a steel regulator, but to move the agenda for establishing the Competition Commission of India at the earliest, says Mehta.

In India, there is a need to put in place a law to regulate, prescribe and implement procedures for not only protecting privacy rights but also to pre-empt fraudulent designs of the telephone hucksters without charging the subscribers, says Manish Agarwal of CUTS International.

There are a number of very well meaning laws in India for the assistance of the common consumer. But their implementation leaves a lot to be desired with the result that their benefit does not percolate down to the consumer, as it should. The remedy is to raise the awareness levels of consumers about consumer rights and issues of consumer safety so that they can initiate prior informed action to safeguard themselves. And the right way is to start young.

In order to build awareness among young minds on these issues, CUTS-Safety Watch organised a two-hour interactive programme at the Don Bosco, Park Circus, Kolkata on December 18, 2004.

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Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS)
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