In a frontal attack on developed nations ahead of the World Trade Organisation Ministerial at Cancun, the World Bank on Wednesday asked developed countries to work out a "trade deal" including removal of trade barriers to accelerate growth in the developing nations.

"A trade deal that addresses the concerns of developing nations, could spur growth and reduce poverty by as much as 144 million people by 2015," World Bank said in its 'Global Economic Prospective' report released on Wednesday.

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A "good" WTO agreement favouring developing nations could result in $290-520 billion income gains to both rich and poor countries, lifting additional 144 million people out of poverty by 2015, it said.

World Bank noted that exporters of developing countries generally have to pay more to get into foreign markets than exporters in rich countries.

Pointing to multiple barriers in world trading systems that drag down export growth of developing nations, the report said, "Industrial countries charge on an average 1.0 per cent on their sales to other industrial countries while exporters from South Asia pay 8.0 per cent."

"This distortion is even more noteworthy as agriculture exports from the region are declining and exports of manufacturing goods are increasing," it said.

"Rich countries have to lead by reducing agricultural protection, cutting high manufacturing tariffs and expanding access to affordable medicines," World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern said.

"It makes no sense for rich countries to adopt policies that would promote growth and then adopt trade policies that would reduce the growth prospects of developing countries," Stern said.

Developing nations, especially dynamic middle income countries, could contribute to a good "Doha deal" by agreeing to undertake trade liberalisation measures that would help boost global trade, the report said.

World Bank chief economist for South Asia, Sadiq Ahmed said the region must further reduce trade barriers and strengthen competition by improving the investment climate, including a big push to improve infrastructure services.

"The higher investment and economic growth resulting from this will have a major impact on creating employment, increasing real wages and reducing poverty," he said.