RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/STR/Q1/URY/1
18October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4241)
Original: Spanish Working Party onState Trading Enterprises
ARTICLE XVII NOTIFICATION OFURUGUAY
Replies ofURUGUAY toQuestions Posed
bytheUNITED STATES1
Thefollowing communication, dated 7October 1996, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofUruguay.
_______________
Question 1
(a) Thebody referred tointhequestion, "National Office forTrade andBasic Foods"( Oficina
Nacional deComercio yProductos Básicos ),never existed anddoesnotexistwithin theorganizational
structure oftheState.
(b) Working byanalogy, wesuppose thatthequestion refers tothe"National Trade Directorate",
(Dirección Nacional deComercio ),which wasabolished asaStateExecutive UnitbyLawNo.16,736.
(c) Inthesubsequent Article following theArticle abolishing theDirectorate, Law16,736 creates
theNational Institute ofSupply (INA), asanon-State public-law body withthesame powers and
functions.
(d) TheNational Institute ofSupply (INA) doesnothaveanyexclusive rights toimport anyof
theproducts itmarkets, especially today, since itdoesnotexercise control overprices orrates. The
taskofconsumerprotectionhasbeenleftwithinthepurviewoftheMinistryoftheEconomyandFinance.
(e) Bothimporting andproduction activities areaimed atmaking basic foodstuffs available tothe
low-income sectors ofthepopulation. Hence theInstitute 'spremises arelocated inlow-income districts.
Wemaydefinitively statethattheINAdoesnotenjoy anymonopoly orexclusive benefits with
regard totheimport ofsunflower oil,yerba mateoranyother product.
Reply 2
ANCAP closed the"ElEspinillar" sugar millpursuant toLaw 16,211, Article 5,of
1November1991,andsincethenhasnopartintheproductionormarketingofsugar.Theestablishment
inquestion wassoldtotheprivate sector.
1G/STR/W/10.