09 : CECA Implementation: A First Look
Alka Chadha
7 February 2006
The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agr
eement (CECA) was signed between India
and Singapore on 29 June 2005 to promote trade
and investments between the two countries.
For the first time, India has signed an all-enco
mpassing economic pact with any country so as
to benefit from gains through trade
and investment flows in areas
of mutual interest. This is
also the first time that India has notified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) under Article XXIV
of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). While, the Agreements relating to
goods and services are in accordance with the
provisions under the World Trade Organization
(WTO), the Agreement on financial services
goes beyond the WTO commitments for both
India and Singapore.