Zimbabwe together with other developing countries should continue to fight for more market access and elimination of agricultural subsidies by the West in order to achieve higher investment levels and increased trade with the developed world, a senior government official said on Monday.

Industry and International Trade Minister, Obert Mpofu made the remarks at a national workshop in preparation for the forthcoming World Trade Organization ministerial conference scheduled for December in Hong Kong.

"We need to ensure that whatever formula is agreed upon must result in meaningful and effective cuts in the subsidies granted by developed countries to their farming communities," Mpofu said.

He urged developing countries to stand firm and defend their negotiating positions adopted under the Doha Round if they were to achieve sustainable economic development, adding that standing firm and being united was the only way developing countries could survive in Hong Kong.

Developing countries, he said, should also continue to advocate for the reduction of tariff peaks and escalation on industrial products, which were hampering market access for its manufactured products.

Elimination of tariff peaks would not only improve market access, but facilitate exports of more processed goods, as higher tariffs were often imposed on more processed goods, he said.

The minister, however, warned that the ambitious proposals on tariff reduction being submitted by some developed countries could result in deep tariff cuts by some developing countries when compared to developed countries, a situation he said would undoubtedly increase unemployment and poverty in the developing countries.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development financed the meeting that was attended by various stakeholders, among them the country's representative to the United Nations, Chitsaka Chipaziwa.

The last WTO talks were held in 2003 in Cancun.

Source: Xinhua