Omar Anderson, Gleaner Writer
PATTERSON
PRIME MINISTER P. J. Patterson yesterday dismissed claims that Jamaica's existing commitments to the 1995 General Agreement on Trade in Services, (GATS), could reduce or eliminate its financial subventions to local tertiary institutions.
A Ministry Paper tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday also stated that the Government was not obligated to cease or curtail existing support programmes to tertiary institutions.
These include the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the University of Technology (UTech).
"I can assure this House we (Government) have no intention of reducing the subsidies we presently provide for each student in these institutions, nor spending those subsidies on foreign institutions which are permitted to operate in our shores," Mr. Patterson said during his contribution yesterday to the 2005/2006 Budget Debate.
During his presentation last week, newly-appointed Opposition Leader Bruce Golding charged that Government's subvention to local tertiary institutions could be compromised if offshore educational institutions invoke the terms of the GATS.
According to Mr. Golding, under the GATS, the Government agreed to give equal financial assistance to offshore and local tertiary institutions.
However, the Ministry Paper stated that the GATS related to private services.
EQUAL TREATMENT
Additionally, it challenged the view that equal treatment must be given to offshore institutions.
"This is not the case as such a right does not exist nor, if it did, would it be exercisable in any practical sense since this would require the Government, which alone has standing in the WTO (World Trade Organisation), to bring a case against itself," the Paper stated.
In the Ministry Paper, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade argues that the UWI is a public tertiary institution and therefore falls outside the scope of the GATS.
Meanwhile, the Ministry Paper indicated that the Government intends to issue a "technical clarification" to clear the air on the matter.
"There is considerable flexibility in the GATS, particularly for developing countries," the Ministry Paper asserted. "It is up to each WTO member to decide which service sector or sub-sector it wishes to liberalise."
The Government states that if this is accepted, the clarification will form part of Jamaica's schedule of commitments and obligations under the GATS.
