Sri Lanka officials learn WTO services rules from Singapore

Apr 09, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's government officials are learning more about World Trade Organization rules on services from Singapore as the country pushes ahead with becoming a trade and services hub.



Experts from Singapore's Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations (TFCTN) as well as experts from other countries are training Sri Lanka's government officials from finance, trade and related ministries.

"If you want to make Sri Lanka a trading hub in the region, it is important to understand both rules that structure global trade and some of the rules major trading nations," TFCTN head Deborah Elms said.

In addition to Elms who also teaches at the S Rajaratnam School of International in Singapore and other experts from the TFCTN, Razeen Sally from the London School of Economics will also be a resource person.

Sally will speak on trade policy in India and China, Asia's fastest growing large economies.

"It is vitally important I think, for Sri Lankan trade officials to understand what is the broader trade environment - especially in India - in order to plan what Sri Lanka ought to be doing," Elms said.

Sri Lankan and Indian officials have been pushing to expand the current