Sri Lanka
In response to concerns raised by some professional associations last week concerning the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA), the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry in a detailed response said the movement of natural persons from Singapore has not been opened except for intra-corporate transferees in senior management and business visitors linked to investments.
In Sri Lanka, the top professional bodies representing engineers, architects, town planners and quantity surveyors and other related professions this week charged that the government has rushed into signing the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) without having proper legal frameworks in place to ensure job security of local professionals and the possible entry of under-qualified overseas professionals.
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed with Singapore is detrimental to the country because it would allow the flowing in of cheap labour from countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the joint opposition said today.
Sri Lanka and Thailand will begin talks on setting broad parameters for a free trade deal from May 2018, officials said.
Sri Lanka will “redouble” efforts to strike a free trade deal with China and conclude and expanded trade pact with India as part of the island nation’s strategy of becoming an Indian Ocean hub for investors and multinationals, the country’s top diplomat says.
Sri Lanka’s president has warned that China’s Belt and Road economic initiative should not be allowed to pose a threat to the international community.
Professionals’ National Front (PNF), a collective of professional organizations, yesterday requested President Maithripala Sirisena to suspend talks on the Indo-Sri Lanka Economic and Technology Co-operation Agreement (ETCA) scheduled for February 21 in New Delhi.
Sri Lanka wants a longer-time period to negotiate a free trade agreement with China as it is concerned about the economic impact of a rushed deal on their small country, the Sri Lankan ambassador said.
The recently signed Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement has been able to create a lot of enthusiasm among New Zealand companies operating in Singapore.
Sri Lanka wants a longer-time period to negotiate a free trade agreement with China as it is concerned about the economic impact of a rushed deal on their small country, the Sri Lankan ambassador said on Sunday.
The Singapore government has rejected a request from the Sri Lankan government for the movement of natural person (mode 4) be completely opened under the Free Trade Agreement.
So what does the government mean by ‘Looking East?’ Is it simply a buzz-word thrown in for good measure, in the process of marketing the Singapore FTA to the public? Does it point to some confusion at a policy level? Or is it terminology advised by external forces guiding policy?
Sri Lanka and Indonesia had agreed to study a free trade agreement during a state visit of President Joko Widodo to Colombo.
Sri Lanka and Singapore signed a Free Trade Agreement deepening the economic ties and facilitating greater trade flows between the two countries.
Professional National Front, an alliance of the professional associations and trade unions have observed serious violations of the law, best practices and hence the good governance in the negotiation process of the free trade Agreement. They took steps to inform all ministers of the cabinet including the president, in writing but their plea has not been heard.
Ahead of the Sri Lankan government’s move to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Singapore, a collective of professional movements have expressed grave concerns and stated that there were serious violations of the law, best practices and good governance in the negotiation process of the agreement.
Singapore will sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with Sri Lanka this week - its 13th bilateral deal and, significantly, its first since the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) faced a setback last year when the United States withdrew from it.
The Sri Lankan Cabinet has approved the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be signed with Singapore
Unlike trade negotiations with behemoths such as India and China, politically-backed protests have not taken place against the Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA negotiations.
President Maithripala Sirisena and the visiting Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak agreed to expand trade relations between the 2 countries further.
