[ssf] [Fwd: FT: Consumer group seeks global pact on utilities]

[Chris Malins]

Consumer power in the anti-globalisation struggle? Maybe a suggestion of 
a capitalist way forward against unregulated service liberalisation. Or 
maybe not...

Chris
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The concept of a General Agreement on Public Services (Gaps) has
previously also been proposed by the public services unions, but with
a clearer anti-privatisation focus than seems the case with this
latest initiative from Consumers International. Still an interesting
move!

ciao

Olivier

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Consumer group seeks global pact on utilities
By Frances Williams in Geneva
Financial Times
Published: September 22 2005 03:00 | Last updated: September
22 2005 03:00

An international pact on public services is needed to protect
consumer rights in the global drive to privatise and liberalise
water, electricity and other basic services, according to a report by
Consumers International, the world federation of consumer groups.

The proposed General Agreement on Public Services (Gaps) would lay
down basic principles for all public and private providers, such as
the need for universal access, accountability, regulation in the
public interest and procedures for redress.

Consumers International (CI) says a Gaps is needed because none of
the international institutions pushing privatisation and
liberalisation - such as the International Monetary Fund, the World
Bank and the World Trade Organisation - requires consumer interests
to be taken into account.

It fears current WTO negotiations to liberalise trade in services
could put further pressure on poor countries to open water, energy
and telecommunications markets to foreign companies without the
necessary regulatory structures in place.

The report* says the WTO's General Agreement on Trade in Services
(Gats) risks promoting "false liberalisation" in which basic services
are handed over to private, often foreign-owned, under- regulated
monopolies. "Gats is not working for consumers," says Richard Lloyd,
director of CI.

The US and the European Union are pushing for greater market access
for their water, energy and telecoms companies in WTO talks, but deny
putting pressure on trading partners to privatise utilities.

CI is not ideologically opposed to privatisation and the introduction
of competition into public services but says, with the exception of
telecoms, there is little evidence that they have improved services.
*Bridging the gaps: The case for a general agreement on public
services, at www. consumersinternational.org

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a6c0d4b6-2b06-11da-817a-00000e2511c8.html

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