The Silicon Review ^Asia

India and South Africa will probably be making an attempt for a convergence amongst developing countries on e-commerce talks at the World Trade Organisation. The convergence aims to point out the issues of revenue losses that could occur due to the implementation of customs duty on electronic transmission. The meeting is supposed to happen on May 13-14 in New Delhi to put forth extensive discussions focused on the binding rules on e-commerce on poorer countries. Both developing and least developed countries are participating in the informal meet.

As said by a government official, the meeting will also address other issues like WTO reforms and the crisis in dispute settlement mechanism. As about 75 countries have launched pluri-lateral talks on e-commerce at the WTO, led by developed country members, addressing the common concerns related to e-commerce is important now, the official added. In addition, 22 countries have been invited to the Ministerial meeting to brainstorm on binding rules on e-commerce and other nuanced issues like  the possibility that developing nations hold to influence  the negotiation results.

The official further mentioned that developing countries need to be aware of how the interests of members who don’t belong to a part of the pluri-lateral agreement can be protected if the agreement is included within the WTO framework without consensus of its entire membership.