Friday, 10 July 2009
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Arrogance, Vanity, Ignorance and utter Stupidity by Aiyaz Kayum on PACER PLUS
Franks Broadcasting News broke the story yesterday that “Government has written to the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum, directing him to convey Fiji’s notification as a state party to PACER that it wished to enter into formal consultation with other PACER parties under the agreement.” [FBCL]
As the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have been encouraging trade liberalization, there has been a proliferation of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs). These RTAs also aim to reduce trade barriers, but they do so in a preferential way.
The Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA) is a RTA which took effect on 1 January 2006 and aims to integrate trade among Pacific Island Countries (PIC’s) and requires us to gradually lower tariffs on our goods over a 10-year period. PICTA excludes Australia and New Zealand. The signatories to PICTA committed themselves to a policy of trade liberalization by agreeing to completely eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by 2010.
The Pacific Agreement for Closer Economic Relations (PACER) requires Pacific Island Countries to begin PACER negotiations at the most eight years after PICTA comes into effect. PACER, which was signed and ratified by all the PIC’s in 2001, is essentially an expanded Regional Trade Agreement that includes Australia and New Zealand and requires elimination of trade tariffs between member countries.
So the million dollar question is does the military regime of Fiji’s suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum also mean that they are barred from participating in Forum sponsored RTA’s such as PACER PLUS?
PACER PLUS is a totally new agreement being negotiated at the behest of all law abiding Pacific Island Countries that are members of the Pacific Forum and who are in good standing and whose elected civilian governments that have the mandate of their people are not “suspended” like our “military” regime, ministers and officials.
Obviously the bush lawyers in our Attorney Generals Chambers have taken NZ academic Jane Kelseys view as mana from heaven. She stated that "PACER is a seperate legal instrument from the Pacific Islands Forum. Suspending Fiji from the Forum does not legitimise excluding them from any discussions on PACER. Therefore any decision made by the parties to PACER, in the absence of Fiji, doesn't have a lawful foundation."
I beg to differ, as I said, PACER PLUS is a totally NEW agreement to PACER which is being facilitated by the Pacific Islands Forum, which an illegal, military, rouge, arrogant government, overflowing with naïve bush lawyers and military buffoons are not part of, FULL STOP!
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