1st Session of India Mauritius High Powered Joint Trade Committee successfully held today
Session is part of the
India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement
Initiation of dialogue on
MRA/MOU including recognition of qualifications in professional services
between the relevant bodies; and Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance
Agreement
Additional market access issues discussed
India and
Mauritius held the 1st session of India-Mauritius High-Powered Joint
Trade Committee on 01-03 August 2022 in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired
by Dr Srikar K Reddy, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of
Commerce and Industry of India, Government of India, and Narainduth Boodhoo,
Director, Trade Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
International Trade, Government of Mauritius. Senior officials representing
relevant Government authorities from both the countries took part in the
meeting.
The High-Powered Joint
Trade Committee had been constituted as per the mandate of the India-Mauritius
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership agreement (CECPA), to review
the general functioning and implementation of the India-Mauritius CECPA which
entered into force on 1st April,
2021. CECPA is the first
trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa.
Both sides noted that the traditionally close, strong
economic ties between the two countries touched a new high with the signing of
the landmark CECPA. Appreciating the growth of the bilateral merchandise trade
between India and Mauritius, which rose to USD 786.72 million in 2021-22 from
USD 690.02 million in 2019-20, both sides agreed to enhance bilateral
collaboration to further increase bilateral trade and realize the true
potential of the bilateral relationship especially under the CECPA.
Both sides agreed to the inclusion of the General
Economic Cooperation (GEC) Chapter and Automatic Trigger Safeguard Mechanism
(ATSM) in CECPA. The GEC chapter will enable enhancement of export
competitiveness and enlarging the existing scope for collaboration, inter-alia,
in the fields of Investments, Financial Services, Textile, Small and Medium
Enterprises, Handicrafts, Gems and Jewellery, Information and Communication
Technology, Film Production, Space Technology, Blue Economy, Port
Infrastructure, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals & Bio-technology, Competition
Policy, Renewable Energy etc.
Extensive interactions were held between both the sides
in Services sector with regard to establishing equivalence in certification,
skills and licensing requirements of various professional bodies and exploring
collaboration/ cooperation arrangement between Ministry of Skill Development
& Entrepreneurship and its counterpart in Mauritius on developing
skill-sets. Mauritian side, while conveying the shortage of professionals in
Mauritius in various sectors such as ICT, Financial Services, Film production,
Engineering, Health, Tourism/Hospitality and Ocean Economy etc., welcomed
movement of high skilled professionals from India to Mauritius.
Both the sides expressed willingness to enter into a
Customs Mutual Administrative Assistance Agreement (CMMA) and agreed to
initiate discussions on the Agreement soon.
Affirming mutual
keenness in diversifying and expanding trade basket, the two sides discussed
additional market access issues and agreed to discuss bilateral recognition
arrangements of equivalence on SPS and TBT measures. Both sides also agreed to
identify bilateral focal points to further strengthen bilateral institutional
cooperation.
The discussions of the 1st Session of
India-Mauritius High-Powered Joint Trade Committee were cordial and forward-looking,
reflecting a common desire of both sides to enhance further trade and
investment, and removing any bottlenecks hampering bilateral trade and
investments. Both sides agreed to hold the next session of India- Mauritius
High Powered JTC meeting in 2023.