A three days Regional Seminar on Telecommunications Services for Pacific Island countries concluded in Nadi, Fiji today, 22 April.

The seminar attended by trade officials from Pacific Island Countries was aimed at enhancing their knowledge on key market and regulatory trends in the telecommunications sector, “also increasing telecom officials’ knowledge of trade obligations under preferential and multilateral trade agreements.”

The seminar was organised by the Office Of the Chief Trade Adviser (OCTA) and the World Trade Organization, and highlighted best regulatory practices in the telecommunications sector, and underscored the economic importance of a well performing sector for the Pacific Island countries (PIC).

The chief Trade Adviser for Pacific Island Countries, Dr Edwini Kessie believed that improved coordination in the telecommunications sector is vital for economic prosperity of the Pacific Island Countries, which is very dependent on trade in services, including telecommunications services.

“. . . Trade negotiations in the context of PACER Plus can encourage best regulatory practices in the telecom sector, and therefore provide benefits for users across the PICs. However, coordination between trade and telecom officials is essential, and this event will therefore enhance the participation of PICs in services negotiations, and their capacity to reap benefits,” said Dr Kessie.

The PACER Plus negotiations are expected to result in a trade and development agreement for the economies of PICs and enable them to derive significant benefits from international trade. The negotiations cover a broad range of issues, including regional labour mobility, development and economic cooperation, trade in goods, trade in services and investment. The PACER Plus negotiations are expected to be concluded by July 2016.

The Office of the Chief Trade Adviser OCTA is owned by the Forum Island Countries and is based in Port Vila, Vanuatu with the objective to provide independent advice and support to the Forum Island Countries FICs in the negotiations of PACER Plus with Australia and New Zealand.

The current members of the OCTA are the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.