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Free Trade Agreement to Boost India and Canadian Economies
While India started opening up to the world way back in 1991, it took Canada almost fifteen years to realize that it has been left behind in its investment opportunities in the burgeoning economy that India is today.
In a latest report, Canada's largest business group is sounding the alarm over its miserable trade and investment performance with a major emerging economic superpower - India.
In its latest report, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce details the poor record of firms and unfocused efforts by Canadian governments that have left Canada outside looking in on the tremendous potential of the world's second most populous country. Nancy Huges Anthony, president of the Chamber recently said, “We have a lot of catching up to do just to get on India’s radar screen. But its never too late”
A recently released 41-page report by the chamber recommends expanding economic relationship with India and China. Both these countries have one of the world's fastest expanding economies with annual growth rates ranging from seven-to-nine per cent and thus cannot be ignored by Canada any more. While the US gauged its potential long back by investing in India, Canada only recently started making inroads into the country, which certainly is unfortunate considering the large Indo-Canadian diaspora which exported merely $1.7 billion worth of goods to India last year. Most of the commodities were largely newsprint, metals and wheat. Anyway, that represent a mere 0.5 per cent of Canadian exports and less than a quarter of what Australia ships to India.
In the past five years, the country's imports have grown an average of 22 per cent annually and trade in the services sector has grown even faster. But Canadian firms have yet to fully exploit the situation. Cool diplomatic relations between the two countries over India’s use of Candu reactors to spark its nuclear weapons program, could be one factor. Also the longstanding practice of looking up to only its neighbor, the US for trade and investment opportunities, may be one of the reasons for Canada missing the boat.
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Setting a Precedent or a Deterrent? Dr. Neelam Verma
Dr. Gian Singh Sangha’s appeal came up for hearing at the Federal court of Canada, in Vancouver this week. For now, the judge has reserved the decision and it may take another few weeks before the decision is out.
It may be recalled that the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on February 24, 2006 ruled that the board’s August 2001 decision amounted to discrimination against Sangha “on the grounds of visible minority. Dr. Sangha had gone to the Tribunal after he was denied a job for the position of a Regulatory Officer with Mackenzie Valley land and Water Board (MVLWB). The position’s requirement included undergraduate degree with two years experience in a related environmental field, knowledge of environmental issues in Canada, ability to write technical reports and a Class 5 driver’s license. Dr. Sangha was not given the job as he was “overqualified”.
It cannot be denied that while Dr. Sangha’s case certainly will set a precedent, yet there are fears being raised within the community about the case setting a ‘dangerous precedent’ or may at some point might act as a deterrent for future employers. Says Neera Jain, who for the last two years has not been able to get back to school to upgrade her teaching degree, “It is difficult to say what the repercussions of this case may be. Personally, I fear that new immigrants may not even get calls for interviews any more as the employers will always feel that if they call this candidate for an interview and reject them later, they may be dragged to courts. Many new immigrants get rejected for being overqualified. It is just becoming a trend here and silently, we all have learnt to accept that.”
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Easing The Pain Of Old Age Dr. Neelam Verma SURREY – A $13.4-million, 72-unit assisted living development specifically designed for South Asian seniors - a first for British Columbia opened this week. Federal, provincial and community funding partners were there to celebrate the opening of the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society's (PICS) Guru Nanak Niwas Assisted Living project. Presiding on the occasion was Nina Grewal, Member of Parliament for Fleetwood-Port Kells, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.l Others present were rich Coleman, Minister responsible for Housing, Keith Anderson, interim president and CEO of Fraser Health, Surrey Mayor Diane Watts along with others. "Canada's New Government is delivering on our commitment to create affordable housing in British Columbia," said Nina Grewal,. "With the opening of this project, seniors will have access to quality, affordable housing and the services they need to meet their specific needs while allowing them to remain close to their families and friends in the community." The new units are funded under Independent Living BC (ILBC), an innovative housing-for-health program managed by the Province and Fraser Health in partnership with the Government of Canada through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). |
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Sangha’s Struggle Sets A Precedent |
Dr. Neelam Verma
That was the time when Liberal government had recently introduced the system of awarding points on the basis of qualifications and Indian media was flooded with ads saying that Canada is in need of educated professionals. Canada was fast becoming the target destination for educated professionals to head to, once the US tightened regulations. After all, it was the Canadian government which was advertising big, giving the impression that once here, jobs are aplenty.
Little did Dr. Gian Singh Sangha realize that he is going on the “adventure” of his life time when he packed his bags and hundreds of certificates/research papers that he had accumulated and immigrated to Canada in 1996. He was at that time working as a professor at the elite Punjab Agriculture University, in Punjab, India and took a three year leave without pay to try his luck in Canada. He had come to Vancouver as a tourist once before to gauge the situation and was told by well wishers that with his wealth of degrees, there would be no dearth of jobs.
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NDP Unveils Vaisakhi 2007 PlansDr. Neelam Verma
SURREY – She was there to wish the community ‘Vaisakhi di lukh lukh vdhayee Indian ishtyle. New Democrat Leader Carole James along with her colleague Sue Hammell were dressed in bright red Punjabi suits, complete with the chunni, when the former hosted a South Asian media luncheon in Surrey on Thursday.
She was also there to unveil the Official Opposition’s Vaisakhi celebration plans for 2007 along with MLAs Harry Bains, Jagrup Brar, Raj Chouhan, David Chudnovsky, Sue Hammell and Michael Sather, was joined by Shital Anmol, a Surrey artist who has contributed to the New Democrats’ Vaisakhi plans this year.
“Every year, Vaisakhi allows us to come together - and celebrate your heritage as part of our province’s collective heritage,” said James. “It helps us learn about one another – and strengthen our pride in our shared traditions.”
As part of the program, James and the NDP MLAs unveiled the Vaisakhi to Vaisakhi Calendar, the NDP Caucus’ Vaisakhi hand-out for this year. The unique Vaisakhi to Vaisakhi Calendar starts in April, the month in which Vaisakhi falls, and ends just before April 2008. James also honoured accomplished Surrey artist Shital Anmol, whose painting depicting the cultural and religious significance of the festival of Vaisakhi, is featured in this calendar.
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Editorial
Booming India deters future immigrants Every time I go to India, I come back impressed at the developments taking place in the world’s largest democracy. Economists predict that India will overtake Britain and have the world’s fifth largest economy within a decade. Read More
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