Global legal eagles may get a perch here

NEW DELHI: The government is considering opening up of legal services to foreign firms. This follows attempts within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to liberalise trade in services.

Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath said the government has set up a committee to look into the opening up of legal services.

“We have set up a lawyers’ group to study the issue. In case of accountancy, which is already open in some areas, we are looking for reciprocity in terms of mutual recognition of degrees and qualifications,� he said.

While making efforts to open up mode 1 and 4 in services, attempts should also be made to move forward on mode 2 and 3, Mr Nath said. While mode 1 pertains to cross-border supply of services, mode 2 involves investment in a foreign country by a service provider.

Mode 3 deals with consumption abroad and mode 4 involves liberalisation of visa and work permit procedures dealing with movement of naturalised persons.

Mr Nath, who is leaving for Kenya to participate in a WTO mini-ministerial meeting, said the meeting will focus on the way forward in services and try to firm up a formula with regard to industrial goods.

On agriculture, he said the effort will be to decide on the figures and dates for reduction in subsidises as decided in the July framework agreement.

The commerce and industry minister said the G-20 meeting in India from March 18-19 will work out a paper on agriculture to carry forward the negotiations.

Asked about the US neglecting India in its proposal to help the textiles industries of countries hit by tsunami, he said he was discussing the matter with the US authorities. The US, Mr Nath said, had already agreed to undertake suo motu review of anti-dumping duty on Indian shrimp exports.