Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/292/REV.2 |
S-IV§37 |
Malaysia |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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Energy subsidization, intended as a mechanism to keep energy affordable, remains a major and long standing fiscal, budget, developmental, environmental, and thereby political issue in Malaysia (sections 3.4.2.2, 3.4.4.2, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2). In addition to the opportunity cost of investing resource revenues in productive capital, subsidized prices of petrol, diesel, and natural gas play an important role in distorting resource allocation by encouraging inefficient energy consumption. (…) A May 2010 Subsidy Rationalization Programme (SRP), involving a phased five-year reduction of subsidies on gasoline, cooking gas, electricity, and road tolls, and projected to save a cumulative total of US$33 billion, achieved little as the Government "changed its focus to cost of living" issues in March 2012; it was reactivated in September 2013 (section 3.4.4.2).
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/292/REV.2 |
S-IV§4 |
Malaysia |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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(…) Energy subsidization for all consumers remains a major and long standing fiscal, budgetary, developmental, environmental, and thereby political issue. (…)
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/292/REV.2 |
S-Summary§23 |
Malaysia |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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(…) Energy subsidization for all consumers remains a major and long standing fiscal, budgetary, developmental, environmental, and thereby political issue. State involvement in the oil, gas and electricity sectors persists, with government-linked company PETRONAS remaining the biggest contributor to the government budget. It allows, inter alia, for subsidization of power generators through a government imposed low natural gas price, a pass-through element that is intended to benefit the end users. (…)
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/292/REV.2 |
S-III§100 |
Malaysia |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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Energy subsidies remain in place for all consumers despite reduction/rationalization efforts undertaken in July 2010 and 2011 when rising oil and gas prices made the subsidy burden "unsustainable" (sections 3.4.4.2 and 4.5). Subsidies for liquefied petroleum gas, diesel, and gasoline rose from RM 9.6 billion in 2010 to RM 20.4 billion in 2011, RM 24.7 billion in 2012, and RM 20 billion in 2013. The subsidized gas price for the power sector allows the electricity tariffs to remain at favourable rates; by end 2012 PETRONAS had extended about RM 182.8 billion in gas subsidy (cumulative forgone revenue) to both the power and non-power sectors. In addition, the Government needs to approve any plans for raising fuels cost that can be passed through to power consumers. While intended to help poor households, fuel and energy subsidies tend to be especially badly targeted, in part because they indirectly subsidize automobile and other purchases that are affordable only by better off households; they are also detrimental to government efforts to improve environmental quality and to promote greener growth.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/292/REV.2 |
S-III§101 |
Malaysia |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Energy |
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In 2010, Malaysia began a rationalization effort to reform its subsidies regime through a phased five-year reduction of subsidies on gasoline, cooking gas, electricity, and road tolls, that was projected to save a cumulative total of US$33 billion. However, only minor reductions in diesel-fuel subsidies and an increase in electricity tariffs and the price of natural gas for the power sector entered into force in 2011. The initiative lost momentum in 2012 as the Government "changed its focus to mitigating the rising cost of living" issues. As a result, in 2012, Malaysia raised subsidies expenditure by 21.6% to RM 44.1 billion (4.7% of GDP, Table 1.1), compared with RM 36.3 billion (4.1% of GDP) in 2011, due to higher provision of fuel subsidies, the biggest burden. In 2013, total allocation for subsidies amounted to RM 46.7 billion. Such subsidies have also encouraged over-consumption of both fuel and sugar, together with substantial smuggling activities, and has led to shortages; it seems that subsidized diesel, sugar, and rice are illegally exported. Subsidy rationalization resumed with a petrol subsidy reduction of RM 0.20 per litre, effective 3 September 2013, and the elimination of the subsidy on sugar effective 26 October 2013. To ensure a targeted subsidy system, the Government envisages gradually restructuring the subsidy programme; a portion of the savings from the restructuring would be distributed in the form of direct cash assistance, while the other half will be used to finance development projects.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/291/REV.1 |
S-III§62 |
Tonga |
2014 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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The Biosafety Act 2009 regulates trade in living modified organisms (LMOs), based on the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Its implementation is overseen by the National Biosafety Advisory Committee. The law provides for a precautionary approach and science-based risk analysis with respect to the approval of LMO trade. Imports of LMOs are subject to prior approval by the Committee, within 270 days of receipt of the advance notice (Section 12); the Committee may also prohibit imports. Exemptions from normal approval procedures may be granted by the Committee for LMOs that are in transit; for direct use as food, feed or processing; for "contained use" in Tonga; or use as a pharmaceutical (Section 15). To date, no import application has been made.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/300/REV.1 |
S-II§54 |
China |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Manufacturing |
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(…) In response to concerns raised by other WTO Members about de facto technology transfer requirements on foreign investment projects, e.g. in the new-energy automotive sector , the authorities stated that such concerns are not consistent with the facts, as China encourages the development of new-energy automobiles through independent innovation and applies the same certification requirements to national companies or joint ventures.
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/300/REV.1 |
S-III§124 |
China |
2014 |
Sectors |
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Agriculture |
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China has set up several funds to support agriculture. Some of these funds date back to 2001 and they are aimed at, inter alia, promoting innovation in the sector (2001); supporting the use of technology in the sector (2004); and financing interest payments on loans for irrigation projects aimed at saving water (2005). (…)
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/302 |
G-I§2 |
Chinese Taipei |
2014 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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(…) In addition to efforts associated with the DDA negotiations, we have also been active in negotiations on the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), the expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), the plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the liberalization of trade in environmental goods. (…)
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/302 |
G-IV§14 |
Chinese Taipei |
2014 |
Trade Policy Framework |
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In order to join the collective efforts to promote global trade in environmental goods, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu worked with 13 other WTO members in issuing a joint statement in Davos, Switzerland on January 24, 2014, announcing the joint intent to launch negotiations aimed at pursuing further liberalization for trade in environmental goods in the WTO. (…)
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