Businessmen urged to join hands with CCP

Law addresses cartelisation, abuse of dominance and deceptive marketing.

ISLAMABAD:

An effective enforcement of the Competition Law encourages enterprise and efficiency, creates a wider choice for consumers and helps reduce prices and improve quality, said Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Chairman Joseph Wilson.

The chairman was addressing an advocacy session organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which was attended by President LCCI Sohail Lashari, CCP Member Advocacy Shehzad Ansar, and executive committee and general body members of LCCI in a large number.

Wilson briefed the participants of the meeting on key provisions of the Competition Act, 2010 and stated that the competition rules and regulations are in line with the modern competition laws.

“The law provided addresses economic ills such as cartelisation, abuse of dominance, and deceptive marketing are equally bad for consumer as well as the business and the industry,” he said.

In comparison with the old Monopoly Control Authority (MCA), the CCP was given more powers by the Competition Act.

By citing various cases, he informed the participants that CCP had taken notice of anti-competitive activities in almost all economic sectors and is vigilant in curbing activities that are harmful to the interests of businesses and consumers.

“It is dysfunctional due to non-appointment of the new chairman and a member after the expiry of the first term of previous members,” he said while responding to a question about the status of the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT).

“The commission is open to all and the business community should come forward and strengthen the hands of the CCP for the economic well-being of all the country,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2014.

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