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Financial Services and Preferential Trade Agreements
9. Are there restrictions on the use of the international or foreign name of a firm?
Regulatory Measures 1. Who regulates the sector in the importing country? Are regulatory agencies independent from the relevant sectoral ministries? 2. Is the sector subject to potentially trade- or investment-restricting regulation maintained at the subnational level? Where can information on the nature of such policy measures be obtained? 3. How transparent is the regulatory regime in the importing country? How are laws and regulatory decisions made public? 4. Are stakeholders consulted or allowed prior comment in advance of regulatory decisions? 5. In what sectors do foreign services providers require prior authorization before entering or serving the market? Where and how clearly are such authorization procedures spelled out? Are authorization procedures maintained at the subnational level? 6. Do foreign firms enjoy equal standing before regulatory bodies in commenting on proposed legislative or regulatory changes? 7. What recourses exist in the importing country for foreign services providers to appeal administrative decisions? Are such appeal procedures available at both the federal and subnational levels? Do foreign services suppliers enjoy standing before such bodies? Must foreign services providers have a local presence to enjoy standing? 8. Does the government or a relevant regulatory agency regulate prices or tariffs? 9. Do foreign suppliers face particular restrictions in becoming members of professional bodies or industry associations in the importing country? 10. Which of the following government programs are available to locally established foreign services providers: (a) tax breaks, (b) preferential access to credit, (c) below-market interest rates, (d) export financing, (e) government-provided risk insurance, (f) underwriting of feasibility studies, and (g) subsidies for research and development activities? 11. Are any specific services standards enforced? If so, by whom? Do such standards comply with international standards? Are standardsrelated matters also subject to subnational regulation? Where can foreign services suppliers find information on standards-related issues in the importing country?