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CUTS Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment (CUTS CITEE), established in 1996 at Jaipur, India, aims tobe a high-level global standard institution for research and advocacy on multilateral trade and sustainable development issues.

128, Mohit Bhawan, Sindhi Colony, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016 Ph: +91-141-228 2821-3, Fax: +91-141-228 2733 Email: citee@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-citee.org

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS CART) established in 1996 at Jaipur, India works towardsenabling people, especially women and other disadvantaged groups of society to achieve the right to basic needs andsustainable development through a strong consumer movement.

D-218, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, Ph: +91-141-513 3259Fax: +91-141-2282485, Email: cart@cuts.org, web: www.cuts- international.org/cart

CUTS Centre for Human Development (CUTS CHD), established in 1990 at village Senti, district Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, Indiaseeks to empower rural people, especially women and disadvantaged groups of society through innovative strategies of socialaction.

Rawala, Senti, Chittorgarh 312 025, Ph: +91-1472-235472, Fax: +91-1472-241472Email: chd@cuts.org, web: www.cuts- international.org/chd

CUTS Centre for Competition, Investment & Economic Regulation (CUTS CCIER) was established in 2003, Jaipur, India to be acentre of excellence on regulatory issues, with focus on competition, investment and economic regulation.

D-217 Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, Ph: +91-141-228 2821, Fax: +91-141-228 2485Email: c-cier@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-ccier.org

CUTS Calcutta Resource Centre (CUTS CRC) established in 1987 has a unique feature of working simultaneously on ConsumerSafety and Grassroots Economic Development.

99/5/9A, Dr Amiyo Bose Sarani, 3rd Floor, Bullygunge Place, Kolkata 700019Ph: +91 33 4068 3154, Fax: +91 33 2460 4987, Email: calcutta@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-international.org/crc

CUTS Delhi Resource Centre (CUTS DRC) was established in 2003 in New Delhi, India to act as the focal point for CUTS�advocacy, outreach and external relations.62, Qutab View Apartment, Katwaria Sarai, New Delhi 110016, IndiaPh: +91-11-2686 3021/2653 7791, Fax: +91-11-2685 6288, Email: delhi@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-international.org/delhi

CUTS Africa Resource Centres at Lusaka, Zambia; Nairobi, Kenya; and Accra, Ghana were established in the year 2000, 2003and 2013 respectively to function as resource, coordination as well as networking centres to promote South-South co-operationon trade and development.

Lusaka3653, Mapepe Road Olympia, P. O. Box 37113, Lusaka, ZambiaPh: +260-211-294 892, Tele Fax: 260-211-294892, Email: lusaka@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-international.org/ARC/lusaka

NairobiYaya Court-2nd Floor. No. 5, Ring Road, Kilimani, Post Box: 8188-00200. Nairobi, KenyaPh: +254-203862149, Fax: 254-20-2386 2149, Email: nairobi@cuts.org, web: www.cuts.international.org/ARC/nairobi

AccraP. O. Box AN 6156, 30 Asafoatse Oman Street, Kokomlemle-Accra-GhanaPh: +233-30-224-5652, Email: accra@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-international.org/ARC/Accra

HanoiCUTS Hanoi Resource Centre (CUTS HRC), established in 2007, functions as a resource coordination and networking centre ofCUTS in Vietnam and the Southeast Asian region.No: 112 Kham Thien Street Dong Da District, Hanoi, VietnamPh: +84-4-62763 600, Fax: +84-4-6276 3606, Email: hanoi@cuts.org , web: www.cuts-hrc.org

GenevaCUTS Geneva Resource Centre (CUTS GRC) has been established in Geneva, Switzerland in 2008 with a view to promote apro-trade, pro-consumer southern NGO voice in the policy making circles working on Trade and Development in Geneva.37-39, Rue de Vermont, 1202, Geneva, SwitzerlandPh: +41-22-734 6080, Fax: +41-22-734 3914, Email: geneva@cuts.org, web: www.cuts-grc.org

CUTS CENTRES

PROGRAMME CENTRES

RESOURCE CENTRES

CUTS CITEE

CUTS CART

CUTS CHD

CUTS CCIER

CUTS CRC

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Affiliations

International

� International Centre for Tradeand Sustainable Development,Geneva

� South Asia Watch on Trade,Economics & Environment,Kathmandu

� United Nations Conference onTrade and Development

� United Nations EnvironmentProgramme

� UN Commission onSustainable Development

� CIVICUS, Washington DC� Consumers International,

London� East African Community

Secretariat� Freedom of Information

Advocates Network

National� Central Consumer Protection

Council, Department ofConsumer Affairs, Governmentof India

� Consumer CoordinationCouncil

� Investor Protection Forum ofthe Securities & ExchangeBoard of India

� Petroleum and Natural GasRegulatory Board

� Central Electricity RegulatoryCommission

� Telecom Regulatory Authorityof India

� Rajasthan ElectricityRegulatory Commission

� The Food Safety andStandards Authority of India

1. Arun Maira, President

2. Pradeep S MehtaSecretary General

3. Ajit SinghSecretary cum Treasurer

4. Ganga R Singh, Member

5. Asha Bhatnagar, Member

6. V V Singh, Member

7. Kishore Rungta, Member

8. S S Bhandari, Member

9. Shail Mayaram, Member

10. Ashok Agarwal, Member

Executive Committee

Decision MakingThe General Body and the Executive Committee lay down the policydirectives for the organisation. The Secretariat implements the broaddecisions through a core Management Committee consisting of theSecretary General, Executive Director, Dy. Executive Director, Advisers,Directors, Associate Directors, Assistant Directors and Coordinators,Heads and Deputy Heads of the Centres.

Our People

Members: 53 life

Full-time Staff: 94

Part-time Staff: 05

Volunteers: 300

DRC

Adviser

Coordinator

StaffAssistants

CITEE

Head/Deputy Head

Policy Analysts/Researchers/Fellows

Programme Officers

Staff Assistants

Organisational StructureGeneral Body

(Meets once a year and receives the annual report and audited accounts,elects the Executive every fourth year and approves broad policy directions)

Executive Committee(The 9 members meet at least twice a year, take policy decisions, approve budgets, etc.)

Secretary General(Appointed by the Executive Committee as the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, receives

instructions from the Board, implements all programmes and oversees administration)

Executive Director/Dy. Executive Director

Human Resource Finance & Accounts Information Technology Editorial & Publications & Administration

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CART

Head/Deputy Head

Coordinators

Programme Officers

Staff Assistants

CHD

Co-ordinator

Field Officers

Field Staff

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C-CIER

Head/Deputy Head

Policy Analysts/Researchers/Fellows

Programme Officers

Staff Assistants

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CRC

Adviser

Programme Officers

Staff Assistants

ARCs(Lusaka, Nairobi &

Accra)

Researchers/Programme Officers

Staff Assistants

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HRC

Director

Researchers

StaffAssistants

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GRC

Director/Dy. Director

Researchers

StaffAssistants

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The organisation has three Programme Centres inJaipur, India/: one each in Chittorgarh and Calcutta; anadvocacy centre in New Delhi, India; and five overseasresource centres in Lusaka (Zambia), Nairobi (Kenya) andAccra (Ghana); one each in Hanoi /(Vietnam) and Geneva(Switzerland).

Each of these centres is equipped with modern facilitieslike Internet, Fax Machine, Photocopier, etc., for efficientand proficient functioning. Currently, there are full-timestaff members.

Revenue is raised through membership subscriptions,sale of publications, research contracts, donations from non-commercial sources and grants from the Government ofIndia and the Consumer Welfare Fund.

In the fiscal year 2015-16 (April 2015-March2016) CUTS budget is M1493 lakh (149.30mn).

CENTRES

RESOURCES

DONORSWe have received or are receiving funds from these donors to implementspecific projects.

Government Sector

Australian Aid, AustraliaBritish High Commission, New DelhiCanadian International Development Agency, CanadaThe Department for International Development, UK and IndiaDepartment of Foreign Affairs and Trade, AustraliaGovernment of India, various MinistriesGovernment of RajasthanGovernment of SwedenGovernment of The NetherlandsInsurance Regulatory and Development AuthorityGovernment of NorwaySecurities and Exchange Board of IndiaSwedish International Development Agency, Sweden and IndiaThe European CommissionThe Telecom Regulatory Authority of India United Nations Population Fund, New DelhiUnited Nations Development Programme, New Delhi and FranceUnited Nations Conference on Trade and Development, GenevaWorld Health Organisation, New DelhiMinistry of Foreign Affairs, SwedenNorwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwayANSA Global-BRAC University, BangladeshMinistry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands

Non-Government Sector/International Agencies

Asian Development BankBureau of Indian StandardsShakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New DelhiChristian Aid, UKConsumer International, UKCentre for WTO Studies, New DelhiCOMCO VietnamDeutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GermanyFriedrich Ebert Stiftung, GermanyHeinrich Boll Stiftung, GermanyInternational Development Research Centre, CanadaInstitute of International Education, USAIndian Institute of Corporate Affairs, New DelhiIPE Global, New DelhiInternational Finance Corporation, USAInstitute of Public Policy, PakistanNational Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, IndiaNOVIB, The NetherlandsNorwegian Institute for Consumer Research, NorwayNew Town Kolkata Development Authority, IndiaOxfam, Great BritainOrganisation for Economic Cooperation & Development, FrancePartnership for Transparency Fund, USAPublic Affairs Centre, BangaloreSave the Children Fund, UK and IndiaSightsavers, MumbaiSouth Asia Watch on Trade, Economic & Environment, NepalSustainable Development Policy Institute, PakistanThe Ford Foundation, USAThe Friedrich Naumann- Stifung, ThailandThe Summit Foundation, USAThe John D Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, USAThe Asia Foundation, New DelhiThe Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, SwedenThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAUS Department of State, USAThe Hunger Project, IndiaWorld Bank

Many thanks for the effective support andcooperation from CUTS.

James ZhanDirector, Investment and Enterprise

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

Many thanks to CUTS for giving me theopportunity to meet with the consumers activists.Kudos for the work that is being done by CUTS.Keep it up. Well done!

Vishwanath HiremathChairman, Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission

(RERC), Jaipur

It has been a rewarding occasion to visit CUTSoffice in Jaipur after years of exchanges in Delhi.This is to wish all success for CUTS at the cuttingedge of economics, commerce and diplomacy.

C Raja MohanObserver Research Foundation, New Delhi

We look forward to work closely with CUTSin the coming years on a number ofexcellent programmes.

Emily WhiteAmerican Centre Programme Director

US Embassy, New Delhi

I congratulate CUTS for high quality analysis andpublications for its exemplary work in social field,trade and economics and openness to disclosurewith all sectors of society in India and abroad.

Raymond SanerCo-founder

Centre for Socio-Eco-Nomic Development (CSEND)

CUTS is a leading non-governmentorganisation based in India and has focussedon public interest issues. CUTS is activeacross South Asia and has links with manyother world-wide research institutions.

Peter N Varghese AOForeign Secretary of Australia

What Others Say

5CUTS CENTRE FOR CONSUMER ACTION, RESEARCH & TRAINING (CUTS CART)

CUTS Centre for Consumer Action, Research & Training (CUTS CART) was established in1996 to continue to contribute towards attaining its inherited agenda of Consumer Protectionand Education. The Centre spearheaded several campaigns and pioneered consumerempowerment. The Centre�s Mission is to �To enable consumers, particularly the poor and themarginalised to achieve their right to basic needs, sustainable development and good governancethrough strong consumer movement�.

Consumer EmpowermentCUTS CART contributes

towards attaining the ultimateagenda of �Consumer Sovereignty�mainly through consumerprotection and education.

�ProOrganic� is the Centre�sinitiative to promote organicconsumption in Rajasthan inpartnership with the SwedishSociety for Nature Conservation(SSNC). The programme isimplemented in six districts ofRajasthan � Kota, Jaipur, Udaipur,Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh andDausa.

A campaign under the �GreenAction Week� was organised togenerate awareness among theconsumers of Jaipur (Rajasthan)about organic food and encourageconsumers to shift towardssustainable pattern ofconsumption.

CART�s endeavour �CommunityMonitoring of Roads underPradhan Mantra Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) in partnershipwith Public Affairs Centre andsupported by National Rural RoadsDevelopment Authority, Bangalorecommenced to monitor 30 selectedroads in Rajasthan constructedunder PMGSY.

The Centre in partnership withConsumers International andWhich? (UK) has undertaken aninitiative entitled �Right to Choiceof Consumers of FinancialServices�, with special focus on�Issue of Misselling and FinancialIncentives in Indian Banks�.

Good GovernanceGovernance is one of the

programmatic areas of CART,which has realised major successfulinterventions.

�MyCity� is an intervention ofthe Centre towards improvingquality of municipal services,which is increasingly affecting thelives of citizens with fast pace ofurbanisation. Urban localgovernments are unable to meetthe expectations of the public as

councillors have not been givenadequate powers as per 74th

constitutional amendment andthere is low civic engagement inthe urban areas.

CUTS in partnership with theUnited Nations DevelopmentProgramme (UNDP) initiated anational intervention � Insight intoIndian States (I3S). The mainfeature of this initiative was todevelop a coherent, user-friendly,sustainable and interactive webportal, depicting successful and notso successful practices ongovernance, especially of RuralNon-farming Sector (RNFS) in theselected four Indian States, i.e.Assam, Odisha, Karnataka andRajasthan.

CUTS Institute for Regulation& Competition (CIRC), New Delhiin collaboration with CART hasimplemented an initiative �Settingup a Public ProcurementObservatory in Rajasthan (ProOb)�to develop key procurementindicators, collect and analyseprocurement data, policies, rulesand implementation of the same inthe state.

The Global Partnership forSocial Accountability (GPSA)hosted the first Global PartnersForum in Washington, DC on May14-15, 2014. GPSA is a Programmehosted by the World Bank thatsupports CSO-led socialaccountability initiatives throughfunding and knowledge products.CUTS is one of the Global Partnersof GPSA.

Sustainable DevelopmentCART derives its activities for

sustainable development withemphasis on MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs). TheMinistry of Environment & Forests(MoEF), Government of India(GoI) has appointed CUTS CART,Jaipur, as the Regional ResourceAgency (RRA) for Rajasthan underthe National EnvironmentAwareness Campaign (NEAC) i.e.from 2006-07 to 2008-09.

Highlights

� Elected to the Council ofConsumers International (CI)in the General Assembly heldin Brasilia, Brazil onNovember 2015. ThoughCUTS is a member of CIsince March 15, 1990, this isfirst time CUTS contested inthe council elections andbecame part of the CICouncil.

� Awarded Grahak SuvidhaKendra (GSK) along withfour other organisations inthe country by Ram VilasPaswan, Union Minister forConsumer Affairs, Food andPublic Distribution. GSKwill serve as One Stop Centrecatering to a spectrum ofservices for consumerwelfare.

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WTO & Free Trade AgreementsThe Centre is engaged in

analysing issues of vital interest ofdeveloping countries and thosecovered by plurilateral agreementsat the WTO like the GovernmentProcurement to influence the globaltrading system. For instance, theproject �National PublicProcurement Policy of India(NPPPI)� was undertaken by theCentre to advocate evolution of aNational Procurement Policy ofIndia; increase the level ofawareness among relevantstakeholder groups; and enablegovernmental bodies to react tochanges in pertinent macro-economic indicators and theirimplications for public procurement.

Regional Integration in SouthAsia

CITEE is engaged in research,advocacy, networking and capacitybuilding on larger issues of tradeand development in South Asia tostudy the cost of economic non-cooperation to consumers in SouthAsia. The objective of the �TradeConsignment Mapping for BetterRegional Connectivity in SouthAsia� project is to contribute to theenhancement of intra-regionaltrade in South Asia through theachievement of better tradefacilitation measures.

The �South Asian Association ofRegional Cooperation (SAARC)Trade Promotion Network� isabout developing and issuing aquarterly e-newsletter for thepartners of SAARC TradePromotion Network (TPN). Eightquarterly e-newsletters will bedistributed to the partners andstakeholders of the SAARC-TPN.

�India Bangladesh TradeAssessment: Enhancing Trade andRegional Economic Integrationbetween India and Bangladesh�project has been implemented toframe policy proposals for improvingIndo-Bangla trade through landroute to generate welfare outcomes.

CUTS CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, ECONOMICS & ENVIRONMENT (CUTS CITEE)

CUTS CITEE was established in 1996 as a programme centre of CUTS to focus its activitieson understanding the issues and implications of an international trade regime under the aegisof the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and bilateral/regional free trade agreements. TheMission of CITEE is �Pursuing economic equity and social justice within and across borders bypersuading governments and empowering people�. It focusses on three functional areas: WTOIssues & Free Trade Agreements, Regional Integration in South Asia and Trade & SustainableDevelopment.

�Regional Trade Potential andAssociated Non-tariff Barriersfocussing on Women Micro, Smalland Medium Enterprises: The Caseof India� project aims to identifyspecific constraints related toregional markets including non-tariff and trade facilitation issues.

Trade & SustainableDevelopment

CUTS International, withsupport from AustralianGovernment�s Department ofForeign Affairs and Trade (DFAT),is one of the portfolio partners forthe recently developed SustainableDevelopment Investment Portfolio(SDIP) for South Asia. This 12-year investment strategy aims toachieve increased water, food andenergy security in South Asia tofacilitate economic growth andimprove livelihoods.

�Development Dimensions of theNational Foreign Trade Policy� isanother endeavour of CITEE todraw attention towardsinstruments, institutions andschemes in the �National ForeignTrade Policy�, which could berendered increasingly inclusivewith a view to aid developmentalobjectives, apart from addressingthe growing trade deficit.

�Rice Seeds Trade between Indiaand Bangladesh� project aims tocreate a conducive environment forcross-border trade and knowledge-sharing on high yielding varieties(HYV) of rice seeds.

Capacity BuildingThe programme �Economic

Diplomacy Training Programme inIndia� aims to build/enhance thecapacity of government officialsand other relevant participants inthe domain of economic diplomacy.The programme is supported by theMinistry of Commerce & Industry(India) through Centre for WTOStudies, Indian Institute of ForeignTrade (IIFT).

Highlights

� CUTS received �WorldCustoms Organisation (WCO)Certificate of Merit� by theCentral Board of Excise andCustoms, Department ofRevenue, Government of Indiafor its work on TradeFacilitation in South Asia onthe occasion of theInternational Customs Day ofthe WCO at New Delhi, onJanuary 27, 2015.

� Only credible pro-trade, pro-equity Southern non-government voice on the high-level panel on defining thetrade prospects.

� Served on various trade andtrade-related Committees ofthe Goverenment of India andrepresented at the WTODirector General�s InformalNGO Advisory Body andStakeholder�s Panel on theFuture of Trade.

7CUTS CENTRE FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT (CUTS CHD)

CUTS CHD was established in the year 1991 in Chittorgarh. Ever since its inception, CUTShas been pursuing consumer issues and community-based action programmes at the grassrootslevel in three districts namely Chittogarh, Bhilwara and Pratapgarh, The Centre�s Missionis �To be an innovative centre for strategic interventions to raise the living standards ofpeople�.

EmpowermentThe status of women in the

country, particularly those fromthe disadvantaged sections of thesociety, is unfavourable. NaiRoshani is a leadershipdevelopment programme forminority women of India toenhance leadership skills throughtheir capacity building and providehand holding support to minoritywomen. This programme aims toempower and instil confidenceamong minority women, includingtheir neighbours from othercommunities living in the locality.

CUTS CHD has implemented�Micro Credit� project for PovertyAlleviation for three blocks in eachdistrict viz. Chittorgarh(Chittorgarh, Nimbahera,Gangrar) and Bhilwara(Mandalgarh, Baneda, Suwana)with the objective to ensure socio-economic development and enhancelivelihood security in rural areas,especially women.

Swadharini is another pilotproject to promote, nurture,upscale and intensify Self HelpGroups (SHGs)-Bank Linkages inthe identified 11 districts ofRajasthan. The project focusses onthe formation of SHGs, creditlinkages, livelihood promotion,micro saving, training of variousstakeholders etc.

Priydarshani is a project forwomen empowerment supported byWomen�s Commission, Departmentof Women and Child Development,Jaipur (Rajasthan). This SHGmodel project was initiated withthe objective to train and developlivelihood skills of the members often model SHGs, to raise theirliving standards and ensure theireconomic empowerment.

Rajasthan Social InclusionProgramme (RSIP) has beenimplemented for Chittorgarh andNimbahera blocks of Chittorgarhdistrict to facilitate enhancedopportunities for economic securityfor physically challenged people.

Strengthening Women

Empowerment in Electoral Process(SWEEP) supported by �TheHunger� is an initiative to promotewomen participation and leadershipin elections.

CHD is CUTS CART�s districtpartner with respect to ProOrganicproject to promote organicconsumption in the state ofRajasthan and covering twoagriculture potential districts ofChittorgarh and Bhilwara forpromoting organic farming byfacilitating awareness generationand capacity building of consumersand farmers respectively.

Environmental Education andProtection

The Diabled People�sOrganisation (DPO) has taken aninitiative to create awareness onenvironmental protection andplantation of trees at Kanera inNimbahera block (Chittorgarh).DPO members conducted self-advocacy at Gram Panchayat andblock-level and motivated people forplanting trees. Around 250 plantswere planted in five grampanchayats of Nimbahera and alsoassigned the responsibility of treeplantation and monitoring thegrowth and survival of trees in allgram panchayats.

Child RightsCHILDLINE 1098 is a 24 hours

free phone service, which can beaccessed by a child in distress bydialling the number 1098 ontelephone. CHILDLINE providesemergency assistance to a child andsubsequently based upon the child�sneeds focusses to a child-friendlynation that guarantees the rightsand protection of all children. Theproject is supported by a nodalagency CHILDLINE IndiaFoundation of the Union Ministryof Women and Child Development.The objective is to reach out everychild in need of care and protectionby responding to the emergenciesthrough toll free phone helplineround the clock.

Highlights

� Three distinct girls � DurgaLuhar from village Ghasha,(Chittorgarh), Pappu Rayakafrom village Dhani,(Chittorgarh) and DevuKanjar from Bigod, Bhilwarawere awarded with state levelLadli Samman by Ministry ofWomen and ChildDevelopment, Government ofRajasthan. This award is givento children for doingexceptionally good work in thesociety.

� The District Collector awardedCUTS CHD for its valuablecontribution in working withthe people with disabilities andeducating them for theirfundamental rights.

� The DPO supported by CUTSCHD has been awarded by theDistrict Administration fordoing exemplary work foraccessibility of welfare servicesand ensuring a life of equalityand dignity for physicallychallenged people.

8 CUTS CENTRE FOR COMPETITION, INVESTMENT & ECONOMIC REGULATION (CUTS CCIER)

Competition Policy and LawThe Centre continues its work

on the �Competition Reforms inKey Markets for Enhancing Socialand Economic Welfare in DevelopingCountries (CREW) project� where itintends to develop an approach,which would help in assessingbenefits of competition reforms onconsumers and producers in selecttwo sectors i.e. Staple Food andPassenger Transport in fourcountries � Ghana, India, ThePhilippines and Zambia.

CCIER has initiated the secondphase of research on �Why DoCountries Adopt a NewCompetition Law? (Second Laws-Volume II), which covers fivedeveloping countries across theworld � Albania, Brazil, Kenya,Pakistan and Zambia to assessmotivations behind introducingnew competition law by eliminatingthe existing laws.

CCIER is also preparing aReport entitled �CompetitionRegimes in the World � A CivilSociety Report (CIRComp) �Volume-II�. About 69 countrychapters have been added to theexisting 120 countries and this willbe released as an e-book.

CUTS has also undertaken thefifth cycle of its flagship biennialproject entitled �India Competitionand Regulatory Reforms� (ICRR2015) to do periodic assessment ofcompetition and regulationscenario in the country.

Economic RegulationCUTS with the support from

British High Commission (BHC)under the Prosperity FundProgramme has undertaken a two-year project on Regulatory ImpactAssessment (RIA) in select primarylaws in banking sector in the firstyear and insurance sector in thesecond year, followed by advocacyand capacity building activities.The first cycle of the projectfocussing on the banking sectorhas been successfully completed,while the second cycle (2014-15)

would undertake the RIA exercisefor key primary legislations/regulations in the insurance sector.

The Centre has successfullyimplemented the project onassessing and scrutinising specificregulations (primary laws) thataffect the genesis of business ofgeneration of electricity.

Investment ClimateCUTS with the support from

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES,India) has taken up the initiative toexplore clean energy strategiesrelated to energy security in Indiaand deliberate on opportunities andchallenges.

CUTS with the support from theIndian Institute of CorporateAffairs (IICA) and GIZ (Germany),Business Responsibility Initiativehas developed sector specificguidelines based on the NationalVoluntary Guidelines (NVGs) onsocial, environmental and economicresponsibilities of business for thepharmaceutical sector.

Consumer ProtectionCUTS in partnership with The

Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Delhi is implementing aproject entitled 2G/3G InternetMeasurements in India. The projectfocusses on collectingmeasurements from several ruraland urban areas on the quality ofservices received by the consumersfrom various 2G/3G serviceproviders in India and documentthe evidence thereby providingrecommendations to provide betterquality of experiences to users evenover unreliable Internetconnections and application.

CUTS has successfullyimplemented the project to assessthe quality and impact of consumerparticipation in electricity sectorregulation process sincepromulgation of Electricity Act2003 through evaluation of theregulatory decision-making processin Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka,Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

To confer a distinct identity to CUTS� research and advocacy work on Competition andRegulatory Reforms, especially from the perspective of the developing country consumersand to build the capacity of southern civil society across Africa and Asia, CUTS CCIER wasestablished in 2003 in Jaipur, India, as a programmatic Centre of CUTS. Its Mission is:�Promoting Fair Markets to Enhance Consumer Welfare and Economic Development�.

Highlights

� Taken up an initiative ofassessing and scrutinisingspecific regulations (primarylaws) that affect the genesis ofbusiness of generation ofelectricity in viz., thermal,hydro and solar sub-sectorswith support from AsianDevelopment Bank, IndianResident Mission.

� Has developed sector specificguidelines based on theNational VoluntaryGuidelines (NVGs) on Social,Environment & EconomicResponsibilities of Businessfor the pharmaceutical sectorwith the support from theIndian Institute of CorporateAffairs (IICA) and GIZ(Germany).

9CUTS CALCUTTA RESOURCE CENTRE (CUTS CRC)

CUTS Calcutta Resource Centre (CUTS CRC) was established in 1987 with a view to takeup focussed action on the area of consumer safety. It functions as a resource centre thatsupports and adds to the overall CUTS� agenda and at present is working on the areas ofregional economic cooperation, energy, and consumer safety. It works in tune with the CUTS�sstrategy of Research-Advocacy-Networking (RAN). The Mission of the Centre is: to �Promoteeconomic equity and sustainable development within and across borders in Eastern SouthAsia through evidence based advocacy and consumer empowerment�.

Energy and SustainableDevelopment

The Department of ForeignAffairs and Trade (DFAT),Australian Government hasdeveloped �SustainableDevelopment Investment Portfolio�(SDIP) targeting the South Asianeconomy to promote water, foodand energy security by enhancingthe cooperation on and access tothe trans-boundary resource baseand knowledge sharing. CUTS isone of the portfolio partners ofSDIP working towards �enhancingthe value of DFAT�s SDIP bylinking its interventions with keyactors and stakeholders throughlocal and regional networks throughpolicy research and advocacy�.

Besides, CRC is alsoundertaking a study to understandthe potential and feasibility ofsmall-scale renewable energy (RE)deployment (off-grid and grid-interactive) in Eastern South Asiafocussing on solar and small hydro.

Safety and EnvironmentCUTS CRC has been actively

working in the arena of consumersafety since a long time and hasbeen a special invitee of theConsumer Policy AdvisoryCommittee of Bureau of IndianStandards (BIS). The Centre hasbeen organising awarenessprogrammes on Consumer Safety,Indian Standards Institute (ISI)marks and Hall marking inassociation with the BIS in WestBengal and North East India.

Recently, CUTS has beenorganising similar programmes inother Eastern states like Bihar.About 35 programmes have beenorganised so far in different states ofEastern and North-eastern India.

Grassroots EconomicDevelopment

CUTS with the support fromthe World Bank is undertaking theproject �Impacts of Border Haats

on Poverty Reduction and PossibleFuture Benefits from theirReplication and Up-Scaling alongthe India-Bangladesh Border�. Theproject aims to understand theimpacts of existing Border Haatson poverty reduction throughincome, their impacts on informaltrade, gender implications, andeconomic, social and politicalfeasibility and employmentgeneration. The project will studyfour Border Haats, two each alongthe Meghalaya-Bangladesh borderand the Tripura-Bangladesh borderand also two routes of informaltrade where there could bepotential for Border Haats toreplace the informal channel.

With the support of the USConsulate, CRC along with CUTSCITEE undertook the study�Enhancing Trade and RegionalEconomic Integration between Indiaand Bangladesh� to examine the keyissues, which affect bilateral tradethrough land routes along theborder between the state of WestBengal and Bangladesh and exploretrade opportunities that could berealised by addressing such issues.

After completing Phase I of thisproject and submitting the finalreport of the same, CRC undertookthe Phase II of the study. Theoverall objective of the study is toframe policy recommendations forsigning and operationalising of theMotor Vehicles Agreement (MVA)and drafting/signing of a Sanitaryand Phyto-Sanitary (SPS)Agreement between India andBangladesh.

CUTS with the support fromThe Asia Foundation isimplementing a project entitled�Reducing Barriers to Food Tradein India�. The purpose of thisproject is to identify product andport specific Non-Tariff Measures(NTMs) to import of selectagricultural food and processedfood items from a select group ofcountries to India.

Highlights

� Contributed to the evidenceand dialogues surrounding thecase for transport facilitationin the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regionthrough research and advocacyefforts, resulting in signing ofthe BBIN Motor VehiclesAgreement among the fournations.

� Member of sub-group onStandard of Practice andConsumer Service of the WestBengal Electricity RegulatoryCommission (WBERC) andcontributes to pro-consumerchanges in related policies andregulations.

� Contributed to inclusion ofcommercial and businessestablishments under thepurview of regulations entitled�Cogeneration and Generationof Electricity from RenewableSources of Energy� publishedby the WBERC, facilitating andcreating scope for betteruptake of such powergeneration and usage bycommercial entities.

10 MARCHING AHEAD (Overseas Centres)

Geneva

CUTS Geneva catalyses the pro-trade, pro-equity voices of the GlobalSouth in international trade anddevelopment-related debates in Geneva.Since its establishment in 2008, itsresearch-based advocacy projects in theGlobal South � where lies its roots andpartners � on these issues have madethe Centre a prime interlocutor ofdeveloping countries and internationalorganisations in Geneva.

The Mission of the Centre is �Toestablish and promote a pro-trade pro-equity credible Southern NGO voice aswell as the means to achieve this in thepolicy-making circles working on tradeand development and other relatedissues in Geneva�.

Promoting Agriculture, Climate andTrade Linkages in the East AfricanCommunity (PACT EAC2), flagshipfour-year project is a follow-up to PACTEAC1 that was implemented fromOctober 2011 to September 2015. Boththe projects aim to build multi-stakeholder capacity of EAC to betterunderstand and deal with policy

linkages among trade, climate change,food security and agro-industrialisation.

Another project of the Centre�Building Developing CountriesCapacity on Trade in ServicesNegotiations� funded by the TradeAdvocacy Fund (TAF) of UK consists oftargeted research studies, toolkits,briefing papers and training workshopsto fill the important gaps in thecapacities of developing countries onissues related to trade in servicesnegotiations.

GRC�s another initiative �SupportingLDCs in the WTO� aims to assist theLDCs in their substantive preparationsfor the 10th Ministerial Conference ofthe WTO held in Nairobi, Kenya, inDecember 2015.

The project �Building Trust forConvergence in the Multilateral TradingSystem� seeks to improve thecommunications among a select groupof WTO members to mitigate the trustdeficit among them and thus pave theway for convergence in the multilateraltrading system.

Hanoi

CUTS Hanoi was officially launchedin 2008. It aims at promoting trilateraldevelopment cooperation on a range oftrade and economic policy issues.

The Mission of the Centre is �To be acatalyst in transferring objectiveknowledge and advocacy skills to theSouth East Asia region for an inclusivedevelopment processes�.

CUTS HRC undertook a CompetitionAssessment for Lao PDR (2013-2014),and an External Review of the Vietnamcompetition regime (2014-2015), withinthe framework of a Regional projectentitled �Competition Policy and Law inAssociation of South East Asian Nations(ASEAN)�.

The Competition Assessment wasmeant to assist Lao PDR in its effort toadopt a competition law and fulfil itscommitments towards building up anASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by2015.

The Swedish InternationalDevelopment Cooperation Agency (SIDA)has been supporting a multi-yearprogramme (2013-2016) implemented bythe Swedish Standards Institute (SIS) tobuild institutional capacity within theSouth East and South Asia (SESA)

regions on standard setting andstandard implementation. CUTS HRC isthe programme�s partner organisationfor the South East Asia region.

CUTS HRC, in partnership with theVietnam Standards and ConsumerAssociations (VINASTAS), hasimplemented a project entitled�Promoting Food Safety in Vietnam: ACase Study on the Presence ofPesticides, Chemicals and HarmfulBacteria in Vegetables and Fruits� fromMarch-December 2014.

The Friedrich-Naumann-Foundationfor Freedom (Vietnam Office) issupporting a Project by CUTS HRC toproduce four quarterly dossiers ofcompetition distortions in theVietnamese economy every year between2014-2017.

CUTS HRC undertook a Case Studyentitled �The VietnamTelecommunications Sector: GoodPractices in Regulatory Reform inRelation to Competition Policy and LawIssues� within the framework of the�Support to Enhance Development ofTrade in Services Negotiations� projectimplemented by CUTS Geneva.

Highlights

� With the support fromthe UK TradeAdvocacy Fund (TAF),GRC is joining handswith InternationalLawyers andEconomists AgainstPoverty (ILEAP) andSussex University toundertake activities.The activities seeks tocontribute to theincreasedparticipation of lowincome countries andRegional EconomicCommunities (RECs)in multilateral,regional and bilateralservices tradenegotiations.

Highlights

� CUTS Hanoi�squarterlynewsletters on�CompetitionDistortions inVietnam� and�Standards andQuality� are wellreceived bystakeholders inVietnam, theASEAN region andbeyond.

11CUTS AFRICA RESOURCE CENTRES

CUTS Lusaka was registered in Zambiain the year 2000. The Mission of the Centreis �To promote South-South cooperation ontrade and development, by involving stateand non-state actors�. Its goal is to promoteregional integration and build long-termcapacity of diverse stakeholders to addressdevelopmental challenges in Zambia and inSouthern Africa.

CUTS has identified policyrecommendations for evolving well-functioning markets in maize and in bustransport sectors through a project entitled�Competition Reforms in Key Markets forEnhancing Social and Economic Welfare inDeveloping Countries (CREW)�, and createdbuy-in within the government for theirconsideration.

Highlights

� Acknowledged forpioneering work onaid for Trade/Enhanced IntegratedFramework (EIF)issues in Zambia.

� Identified as aprominent voice of theZambian consumers,raising consumerconcerns based onevidence andstakeholder inputsand also suggestingremedies.

CUTS Nairobi, has been functional since2002 in the East Africa region. The Centre�smandate includes capacity building forNGOs in the areas of consumer protection,inclusive growth, development of trade andeconomic policies, training and advocacy toconsolidate and expand activities of CUTSInternational in promoting South-South civilsociety cooperation in economic developmentand trade in the world economy. CUTSGeneva and CUTS Nairobi with substantivesupport from other partner organisations inthe EAC region implemented a projectentitled �Promoting Agriculture-ClimateTrade Linkages in the Eastern AfricanCommunity (PACT EAC)� from October2011 to September 2015 to enable greaterpolicy convergence in the areas of Trade/Climate Change/Food Security.

A project entitiled �Accelerating

Highlights

� A leading think tankin EAC region workingon competition andregulatory reforms.

� Established a dynamicchannel forinformation andknowledge flow,especially on tradepolicy issues betweenEAC capitals andGeneva, the seat ofWTO.

Highlights

� The Centre hasbecome a referencepoint for state andnon-state actors oncompetiton policy andlaw & consumerprotection issues inGhana.

� Works with CUTSresidentrepresentatives inAbuja on ECOWAS-level regionalintegration.

CUTS Accra Centre was established inAugust 2013 to extend its work in the areaof consumer protection, trade anddevelopment, competition policy andregulatory issues in the West African region.

The Mission of the Centre is �To pursueCUTS� vision of Consumer Sovereignty inWest Africa�. CUTS works closely withpartner institutions in Nigeria, Togo, SierraLeone, Liberia, Guinea, Burkina Faso,Niger, Cote d�Ivoire and host of others inthe Economic Community of West AfricanStates (ECOWAS) enclave.

CUTS Accra with support from DFID,UK and BMZ through GIZ, has been part ofCREW project, which is being implementedin four countries to develop an approach toassess the impact of competition reforms onconsumers and producers.

To advocate for a well-enforcedcompetition regime in Ghana, CUTS Accra,with the funding support from the BusinessAdvocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund isimplementing a project entitled �Advocatingfor a Functional Competition Regime/Framework�. This project referred to as theCOMPAD project has helped createstakeholder understanding and visibilityabout the need for an effective competitionregime in Ghana.

CUTS Accra has implemented a project�Integrating Consumers� Voice in theRegional Integration Process: A Pilot inSelect West African Countries (IVORI-I)� toassess the prevailing state of engagement ofconsumer groups/civil society in regionalintegration in Ghana and Senegal.

Implementation of EAC Competition Policyand Law (EACOMP)�, supported by TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) was undertakenwith the objective of catalysingimplementation and domestication of EACCompetition Law and Act by the PartnerStates in all the five East African States(Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda andUganda) by improving stakeholder awarenessand garnering support.

With the aim to �Assess Poverty Impactsof EAC Economic Integration� a new projectis being implemented in partnership withthe European Centre for Development PolicyManagement (ECDPM). It intends to providea summary of the existing evidences in theliterature on the poverty impact of regionalintegration in different regions around theworld and to examine lessons for povertyreduction applicable to EAC integration.

�Integrating the Voice of CSOs inRegional Integration Process-Eastern andSouthern Africa (IVORI-III)� initiative hasbeen implemented to enable CSOs�participation in implementation of theTripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA � aninitiative to create a single market involvingEast African Community (EAC)-COMESA-South African Development Communitycovering 26 Eastern & Southern Africancountries. COMESA refers to CommonMarket for Eastern and Southern Africa.

�Understanding and Awareness Raising onHealth Care Issues in Zambia� project aims tohighlight weaknesses in regulatory structureand functions that lead to sub-optimaloutcomes in the health care sector, therebyposing challenges for the common citizens.

Lusaka

Nairobi

Accra