CCP urged to work against cartelisation

LAHORE: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) should constantly strive to work against cartelisation, deceptive marketing and other such economic ills, speakers said at a workshop.

The two-day conference ‘Challenges in implementing competition law in developing countries’ organised by the CCP concluded on Wednesday. Addressing the technical session ‘Determinants of effective competition regime,’ former finance minister Dr Salman Shah said that competition agencies must work effectively to promote competition.

“Challenges and opposition to the competition agencies must not deter it from working independently,” he added. Competition expert from Canada Richard Janda said that developing countries were not alone in facing challenges to the existence of competition agencies but the developed world has also faced such situation in earlier times. Leading lawyer Mehmood Mirza said that the CCP was performing remarkably and playing its role in the development of the economy.

CCP Chairman Khalid Mirza, while addressing the second session on ‘Importance of competition advocacy in developing countries’, highlighted the actions that the CCP has taken to promote competition ordinance through advocacy. He said that the Commission has pursued a proactive advocacy strategy to inform and educate its stakeholders, promote the law and publicise its actions.

“Some of our actions include a number of seminars, workshops, roundtables and meetings with stakeholders; we have held eight meetings of the Competition Consultative Group; we have issued five policy notes; we have held open hearings on issues of public importance and we have developed a dynamic website to keep our stakeholders posted on our actions,” he said.

Halil Baha Karabudak, Adviser to the Chairman of Turkish Competition Authority, in his presentation said that only the enforcement of competition law cannot promote competition, but a culture of competition through advocacy is a desirable role for all competition agencies.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 13th, 2010.