|
UPASI for hikein bound tariffs
S.Venkitachalam
New Delhi, Aug 8: The United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) has strongly urged the government to raise the bound rates of tariffs on tea, coffee and natural rubber to 150 per cent each to meet the unprecedented crisis faced by them in the wake of falling prices and surplus stock at home.The bound rates may be applied as a provisional safeguard measure with the quantitative restrictions on these and other plantation crops set to be lifted from April 1, 2001, said UPASI vice president E.K. Joseph, whilespeaking to newspersons in Delhi on Tuesday. He wanted that the next round of negotiations with the WTO be also utilised to bring natural rubber within the ambit of the agricutural sector as it did not constitute an industrial product. Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
|