Pro Public had conducted a national study on the modalities for the formation of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) in 1999. The study was conducted with the support of UNDP/Nepal Accession to WTO Program Office that  includes the components i.e., review the major provisions of the free trade areas among developing countries; review and evaluation of the achievements and challenges of SAFTA and the distribution of gains among member countries; identification of the areas/sectors where Nepal could benefit from the formation SAFTA; identification of the areas/sectors where Nepal has to suffer substantial loss; identification of the competitive position of Nepal in major goods and services sectors at the regional level: and providing expert opinion on substantive issues relating to SAFTA.