Brazil to Explore Opportunities in Indian Healthcare

José Gomes Temporão, Minister of Health, Brazil arrived in India with a 20-member delegation to explore cooperation in the healthcare sector of the two countries. The delegation had members from both public and private sector.

During his talks with the Indian minister and later at the interaction with Indian healthcare stakeholders, the visiting minister José Gomes Temporão, said, “There is a need to develop links between the two countries in the health sectors as a lot had to be gained through this exchange of knowledge, skills and technology.”

In his view, health policies, sanitary regulations, traditional medicines, manufacturing of medicines and medical equipments are potential areas of cooperation between India and Brazil.

Temporão said that the country’s government aims to provide maximum incentives for foreign participation and partnerships through the new production development policy (PDP). Besides bilateral cooperation between India and Brazil there is also an ongoing South–South Cooperation. There are many commonalities between the two countries. Both countries can have cooperation in chronic diseases, cardio-vascular diseases, tobacco control, bio-technology, neglected diseases, organ transplantation etc. Cooperation in the areas of biotechnology and pharmaceutical products are very important.

In India, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries are the sunrise sectors gaining global recognition. The sectors are slated to grow at 12-14 percent over the next 3-5 years.

High disease prevalence, increased access to healthcare facilities, changing healthcare model and medical tourism, increasing spending capability and the population dynamics are the drivers of this growth.

On an average Indian households spend 11 percent or more on healthcare and medical services today as compared to 10 years ago, leading to the doubling of the industry. Many presentations on industrial policy for pharmaceutical sector in India and that of Brazil were made in the interaction with the business chambers. The CII is planning to open its first Latin American office in Brazil.


Ecuador Minister Explores Cooperation in Mining

Jose Valencia, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador visited in the third week of July 2008. Valencia delivered the Lecture “New Socialism and South American Integration” at the School of International Relations, Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. Organized by the Ecuador Embassy in India, the lecture attracted an elite audience of academics, ambassadors, scholars and media. The visiting minister dwelt at length the changing contours of socialism in South America and the corresponding changes in the roles and responsibilities of the state.

According to him, the evolved socialism does not preclude enterprise unlike the past when socialism was synonymous with state control. The role of the state is to facilitate enterprise and investment at the same time, ensuring the fair distribution of national wealth to the citizens. The minister noted the growth of economy and investment opportunities in emerging economies like India and called upon the South American economies to draw appropriate lessons.

During his visit, the minister also held discussions with India’s Minister of State for Mines BK Handique and explored the prospects of cooperation in the mining sector between the two countries. Handique told the Ecuadorian delegation about the New Mineral Policy announced by the Government in March 2008. Ecuador is endowed with minerals which include gold bearing quartz veins and placers, silver, copper, lead, manganese and various industrial minerals such as barite, clays, feldspar, gypsum, limestone and marble. Oil and natural gas are the main mineral resources. Small quantities of gold, silver, copper and zinc are also produced.

Foreign Direct Investment is allowed in Ecuador for exploration in Gold, Silver, Molybdenum, Zinc, and Lead. Major operating companies in Ecuador are organized in cement, gold petroleum crude, petroleum refinery products, sand & gravel and crude steel.


IDSA Conference on Africa and Energy Security

New Delhi-based Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in association with the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) organised an international conference on Africa and Energy Security in the month of June.

The conference stood out for its topical relevance amidst raging issues like global warming, harnessing CO2 emissions, rising oil prices, violent conflicts in the Middle East and hurdles to global energy supplies. The conference attracted participation from both policymakers and academics.

The conference is succeeded in looking beyond state-centred views of energy security and turned the spotlight to the potential for conflicts over energy resources vs hegemonic discourses on ‘energy security’.

Africa is endowed with huge mineral reserves and unparallel bio-diversity. It has 60 percent of world diamonds, 40 percent of phosphate, 99 percent chromium and 85 percent platinum. It has proven oil reserves of nearly 16 million MTS and huge gas reserves. Africa would add 38 percent to global oil contributing a further four million barrels of oil per day by 2010. Nigeria, Angola and Algeria have huge prospects. Apart from oil, Africa has a huge potential for LNG and it produces over 50,000 MT per year.

An array of researchers working on energy issues discussed Africa’s role as a ‘battleground’ in the global competition for oil and deconstructed the concept of ‘energy security’ by looking at the multiple consequences of energy extraction and production for local political and social developments across the African continent.

The papers presented at the conference looked at the political and social implications of identity politics within oil-rich countries such as Sudan, Nigeria, and Angola and the significance of African oil as a ‘security hedge’ in the foreign policy-making of import-dependent countries such as China, India and the United States. The conference raised the pertinent issue of oil becoming a ‘bane’ for Africans in case its fruits are not adequately distributed and the common citizen left out of the deserved development.

The key speakers included Dr. Stein Tennesson, Director, International Peace Research Institute, Oslo; James. S. Shikwati, Director, Inter Region Networks, Kenya and Ruchita Beri of IDSA among others. Delivering the valedictory address, Anand Sharma, India’s minister of state for External Affairs said, “Our relationship with Africa has always been imbued with a spirit of partnership and equality. The framework of cooperation adopted at the Africa Forum Summit outlines the priority areas.”


New EU Tariff Plan to benefit Indian Jewellery

The renewed preference system would provide real economic value to developing countries, with €57 billion worth of trade under the scheme in 2007. The latest adoption by the European Union (EU) of a new regulation applying the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for the period from January 1, 2009, until the end of 2011, allowing the EU to maintain preferential access to its market would help benefit the Indian gems and jewellery sector.

India is the largest beneficiary of EU’s GSP scheme as it brings cheers, as the gems and jewellery sector (Section XIV) will benefit from the tariff preferences offered by the GSP.

In 2007, India’s exports to EU, of jewellery, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones and metals were worth €2.1 billion. In 2007, preferential imports entering into EU from India under the GSP reached €11.3 billion compared with €9.6 billion in 2006.

According to a communiqué from Brussels, the renewed preference system would ensure that GSP is targeted at those countries that need it most. GSP provides real economic value to developing countries, with €57 billion worth of trade under the scheme in 2007.

The EU Trade Commissioner, Mr. Peter Mandelson, said, “The continuation of GSP will ensure stability and predictability for beneficiaries and traders in the EU and developing countries. The GSP is a vital tool of our pro-development EU trade policy.”

As a result of re-calculations to reflect the evolution of trade, preferences for specific product groups will be re-established for six beneficiary countries of GSP such as Algeria, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa and Thailand.

Suspension of preferences, called “graduation”, reflects the fact that a particular country is competitive in the EU market for the products in question.