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Unit 3: Information Products

to discuss this. The meeting focused on where Members anticipated the need for flexibility in regard Notes
to elements identified as important to a final package. Members have expressed a willingness to
participate in the detailed negotiations on services market access that are necessary to conclude the
round.
As well as the S30 plurilateral meeting, the February services cluster focused on bilateral negotiations
on commercial presence and the movement of natural persons, as well as on the telecommunications,
computer and audiovisual services sectors. Negotiations in March will focus on Modes 1 and 2,
professional and business services and logistics and supply chain services. The April meetings will
focus on tourism, construction, energy, environmental, financial and agricultural services.
Informal discussions on domestic regulation during February provided a starting point for intensified
negotiations on this important area of the negotiations. Members agreed to commence drafting
groups in order to develop a bracketed text on which to negotiate further.

3.9 Trade and Environment

Consultations on trade and environment were held most recently on 14-18 February in Geneva. Some
progress has been made, although there are key outstanding issues still to be resolved. Members are
exploring text on the relationship between the WTO and multilateral environmental agreements (MEA),
and possible approaches that might be adopted to liberalise environmental goods and services.

3.9.1 Sample of Trade Bulletin

Never paid any bribe to anyone: Tata
Tata group chairman Ratan Tata has rejected allegations of giving bribe to former telecom minister
A Raja to secure 2G spectrum allocation and said charges being made during the court proceedings
were an attempt at diversion. Facing questions from a shareholder at the 104th AGM of Tata Steel,
he said unfortunately there are no defamation laws in the country and one can say anything in
court and get away with it. “Not even one paisa was paid to Mr A Raja. The money was for the
hospital and medical equipment meant for people . Since no hospital was built and no equipment
was purchased , no money was paid. “We do not make payments in advance. The statements made
in courts are to create a diversion,” Tata said. jailed Swan Telecom’s promoter Shahid Usman Balwa
had said that the Tatas gave a donation of ` 20 crore to a hospital in Raja’s constituency in Tamil
Nadu. “Lots of things we have not said in public because we have given all the information to the
(investigating) agencies. Besides, the matter is sub-judice and we may risk contempt of court, if we
see anything more,” Tata said, adding, “We have never been asked or given any sort of bribe or
gratification to A Raja or anybody else.”

‘Economy to grow at 8.2% in this fiscal’
Amid a difficult global economic scenario, India’s GDP growth will slow down to 8.2 per cent in the
current fiscal and the inflation rate is expected to remain high at 9 per cent till October, the Prime
Minister’s Economic Advisory Council said In its report on the state of economy, the PMEAC said:
“The projected growth rate of 8.2 per cent, though lower than the previous year, must be treated as
high and respectable given the current world situation.” It further said that the global economic and
financial situation was unlikely to improve (in the foreseeable future) and this could impact the
domestic economy. The Indian economy grew by 8.5 per cent in the last fiscal, ended March 31, 2011.
The PMEAC’s projection for 2011-12 is higher than the 8 per cent growth forecast made by the
Reserve Bank in its annual monetary policy, but it is lower than the government’s target of 8.5 per
cent. On inflation, the PMEAC said that it was likely to come down to 6.5 per cent by March, 2012,

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