WTO Resource Center at PTTC

To facilitate the dissemination of information of the World Trade Organization, a WTO Resource Center will be established at the PTTC. The proposed center will house basic facts on WTO and WTO-related information to the public, including a database of organizations and individuals that can be consulted on WTO matters.

To be more relevant a survey was conducted to assess the business sector’s knowledge on the WTO and what they think the proposed resource center should contain. A total of 181 questionnaires were fielded to business personalities from trade and industry associations and selected government officials from July to September.

Survey results revealed that are still quite a number of individuals who are not aware or knowledgeable on WTO agreements. Surprisingly, eight of these respondents came from the government sector.

Subjects found relevant to their respective businesses include General Implications of the World Trading System (48 percent), Implications on the Philippine Business Community (46 percent) Technical, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards and Regulations (42 percent) and E-Commerce (40 percent). Information on these topics could be fully understood through attendance to seminars, handouts and documentations, and through articles in newspapers, newsletters, etc.

The survey results that serve as the springboard to the establishment of the WTO Resource Center. As indicated in the survey report, the ability of both government and business enterprises to benefit from the system depends greatly on the accessibility of timely and relevant information, their knowledge and understanding of the rules of the system, and the advantages the system provides as well as the challenges it poses in the conduct of international business.

An area at the PTTC library shall be dedicated to the center and will be fully operational on Jan. 16, 2001.