India seeks easier visas for service professionals

May 28, 2008 01:33 IST

Even as the World Trade Organisation released the proposed guidelines to open up the services markets, India has sought easier visas for its professionals providing services in developed countries.

Fernando de Mateo, the chairman of the WTO Council for Trade in Services, released the report on services on Monday. The report asks member countries to commit to providing market access in sectors where many trade barriers exist. Draft texts on agriculture and non-agriculture market access have already been released.

Commerce Secretary Gopal K Pillai on Tuesday said the report put a number of topics of India's interest in square brackets, which means there is no agreement on them.

"Mode 1 and Mode 4 services market access have been put in square brackets. Moreover, the report does not say much about issues like domestic regulation, which are extremely important for liberalisation of the service sector trade to succeed," Pillai said at a Ficci seminar.

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