text: FEATURE - Singapore sees prestige in hosting WTO. Ramthan Hussain 
   SINGAPORE 1996-12-06 
   Singapore's winning campaign to host the World Trade Organisation (WTO)'s first ministerial meeting reflected its ambition to play a key role in shaping global free trade, the lifeblood of its economy, analysts said. " As one of the world's most externally oriented economies, Singapore has a disproportionately large stake in the WTO, " said Desmond Supple, economist at research house I. D. E. A. " Singapore stands to benefit more than most from continued global trade liberalisation as trade is the engine of its growth, accounting for nearly three times its gross domestic product. " 
   The city-state met U. S. opposition two years ago in its bid to host the meeting, expected to gather 4, 000 officials from 160 countries from December 9 to 13. In a stand some analysts linked to controversy over Singapore's caning of an American teenager for vandalism, then - U. S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor had said the meeting ought to be held where the WTO was going to be headquartered. That would have meant Geneva. But Singapore had the support of other WTO members. Derek da Cunha, senior fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (ISEAS), said Singapore's hosting of the conference " carries a great deal of symbolism for the city-state, underscoring its commitment to free trade and its trading links across the globe. " 
   There is the international prestige Singapore would enjoy, but " more importantly there is a genuine national interest in fostering better global free trade and an open market ", said Tan Kong Yam, head of Business Policy at the National University of Singapore. At the ministerial meeting, trade ministers will review the work of the WTO and the implementation of the Uruguay Round free trade commitments under its predecessor the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In June, the WTO hailed Singapore for its open market policies but the European Union and other trading powers called on Singapore to speed up the opening of its services sector. Supple said the struggle that Singapore had to wage in vying to host the meeting would be repeated during the talks. " There is tension at every step of the way, " since a battle line between the West and developing countries has been drawn over the issue of linking trade liberalisation with labour rights, he said. Supple said hosting the meeting carried prestige for Singapore, " however, this is quite intangible as the prestige factor may not necessarily lead to any additional investment and trade flows to this region. " 
   From a commercial point of view, the meeting would be good for Singapore's tourism industry, Tan said. A large part of Singapore's workforce would be mobilised to ensure the meeting would run without a glitch but the average Singaporean " would probably not be too concerned about some of the issues, " Tan said. " But the more educated public will realise that these kind of things are important for Singapore as a small economy. " 
   Supple said any political gains the Singapore government would get from the WTO meeting--ahead of a general election due by April 1997--would depend on how successful it was in pushing its economic agenda. " If there are any movements toward freer trade, then Singapore's economy and the electorate would gain, " he said. " 
   But I don't think it would be wise to play up the political aspect of this. I think political issues will take secondary importance to all these economic issues that will be displayed. "
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