Nagpur, Jun 3 (PTI) The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Saturday passed resolutions on the need to protect the countries economic interests, including those of farmers and fishermen, at a coming meeting of the World Trade Organization.

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A two-day national convention of the SJM began here on Saturday, said its national co-convenor Dr Ashwini Mahajan.

One of the resolutions passed at the convention was about the need to protect national interests at World Trade Organisation as the 12th ministerial conference of the WTO will take place from June 12-15 at Geneva, he said.

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The issues which carry special importance for people of less developed countries and developing countries are decisions on "temporary moratorium on custom duty on electronic transmission, TRIPS waiver on vaccine, medicines and related technologies for treatment of COVID-19, permanent solution to Peace Clause in Agreement on Agriculture on public stockholding for food security and fisheries subsidies," Mahajan told PTI.

The current moratorium on custom duty on electronic transmissions is against the interest of developing countries in general and India in particular, he said.

"This is not only impacting job creation in electronic transmission sector, but also the revenue generation. Imposition of tariff on electronic transmission will be the first condition for success in fourth industrial revolution, namely, digital industrialisation," Mahajan added.

Africa Group and other supporting countries have proposed a TRIPS waiver for vaccine, medicines and consumables for treatment of COVID-19 which was initially opposed by developed countries, he said.

"The need of the hour is that TRIPS waiver is extended to medicines, diagnostics, disposables and all types of equipment used in the treatment of COVID. We call upon the Government of India to take up the issue at MC12 forcefully and give lead to the developing countries for this much needed extensive TRIPS waiver," said Mahajan.

The SJM also called upon the government to press for an agreement which does not come in the way of food security for crores of Indian people and also undo "the historical wrongs in terms of classification of subsidies," he said.

The organization also wanted the government to safeguard the interests of small fishermen and the livelihood of the country's coastal population at the WTO, he said.

Another resolution passed at the conference was about the "Global turmoil and the challenges ahead for Indian economy," Mahajan said.

SJM was concerned with "increasing dominance of foreign capital and the declining domestic savings," he said.

The organization feels that increasing trade deficit and declining value of Indian Rupee due to sudden increase in imports and pull out of funds by FIIs from the stock market "is an area of serious concern," and taxation laws on capital gains needs a revision, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)