On the World Competition Day, marked under the theme, ‘Adverse Impact of Cartels’ by many competition agencies across the world on Wednesday, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) held a seminar for academia and called for coordinated efforts to curb cartelization, the most pernicious anti-competitive conduct. The seminar was attended, from the Commission, by Chairperson Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Members Dr. Joseph Wilson and Vadiyya Khalil, and from academia by large number of students and faculty members of various universities, i.e. National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Szabist, Quaid-e-Azam University, and Bahria University. The World Competition Day is marked to commemorate the adoption of the UN Set on Competition Policy on 5th December 1980, which is a multilateral agreement on competition policy that provides a set of equitable rules for the control of anti-competitive practices; recognizes the development dimension of competition law and policy, and; provides a framework for international operation and exchange of best practices. While addressing the seminar, the Chairperson emphasized the need for the introduction of an academic course regarding competition law at premier academic institutions, which, will further create awareness, and ignite interest, in this field of law which has assumed increasing importance in economic regulation. “It will seek to create a nexus between the competition regime and the academic circles in the country providing sustainable increase in knowledge relating to competition issues,” she added. The participants were briefed on the enforcement of Competition Law with the help of various case studies dealing with abuse of dominant position, cartelization and deceptive marketing practices. They were informed that the during the last five years, the Commission has moved very decisively against cartelization in various sectors, i.e. banks, cement, chartered accountancy, stock exchanges, dredging, poultry, telecom, jute, power, shipping, cooking oil and ghee, media. The Commission has imposed fines of PKR 8.5 billion for different violations of competition law. However, the effectiveness of the Commission’s orders/actions shall be more visible upon disposal of pending cases before the courts. The Chairperson informed the participants that the Commission was currently dealing with several cases including poultry, entertainment, urea/fertilizer, telecom and aviation sectors. She said that the Commission’s effectiveness and its performance has been internationally acknowledged, adding that as a result of effective enforcement, the Commission got ‘Fair’ rating in independent evaluation by the Global Competition Review (GCR) in 2010 and 2011, and was also shortlisted by GCR for the Enforcement Award in the category ‘Agency of the Year – Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa’ for 2012.” They were further informed regarding peer review of the Commission by the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Peer Review has been requested for and volunteered by CCP and the evaluation will be shared at the next meeting of UNCTAD expected to be held in July next year which will be presented before 152 countries. The Chairperson said that the peer review is an effort on behalf of CCP for the strengthening of the institution as well as building the image of Pakistan. The Chairperson reiterated CCP’s commitment to pursue hard core anticompetitive conduct i.e., horizontal agreements among competitors not to compete such as price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation. She emphasized that all stakeholders including the government, the business community, judiciary, media, and consumer right groups can play a crucial role to strengthen and help CCP detect cartels and purge Pakistan’s economy of this ‘supreme evil of anti-trust’, as described by the U.S. Justice Department. Earlier, CCP Member Dr. Joseph Wilson gave a detailed presentation on the Competition Act, 2010. CCP Member Vadiyya Khalil briefed the participants on the advocacy strategy of CCP. The participants took keen interest in the seminar .
On the World Competition Day, marked under the theme, ‘Adverse Impact of Cartels’ by many competition agencies across the world on Wednesday, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) held a seminar for academia and called for coordinated efforts to curb cartelization, the most pernicious anti-competitive conduct. The seminar was attended, from the Commission, by Chairperson Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Members Dr. Joseph Wilson and Vadiyya Khalil, and from academia by large number of students and faculty members of various universities, i.e. National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Szabist, Quaid-e-Azam University, and Bahria University.
The World Competition Day is marked to commemorate the adoption of the UN Set on Competition Policy on 5th December 1980, which is a multilateral agreement on competition policy that provides a set of equitable rules for the control of anti-competitive practices; recognizes the development dimension of competition law and policy, and; provides a framework for international operation and exchange of best practices.
While addressing the seminar, the Chairperson emphasized the need for the introduction of an academic course regarding competition law at premier academic institutions, which, will further create awareness, and ignite interest, in this field of law which has assumed increasing importance in economic regulation. “It will seek to create a nexus between the competition regime and the academic circles in the country providing sustainable increase in knowledge relating to competition issues,” she added.
The participants were briefed on the enforcement of Competition Law with the help of various case studies dealing with abuse of dominant position, cartelization and deceptive marketing practices. They were informed that the during the last five years, the Commission has moved very decisively against cartelization in various sectors, i.e. banks, cement, chartered accountancy, stock exchanges, dredging, poultry, telecom, jute, power, shipping, cooking oil and ghee, media. The Commission has imposed fines of PKR 8.5 billion for different violations of competition law. However, the effectiveness of the Commission’s orders/actions shall be more visible upon disposal of pending cases before the courts. The Chairperson informed the participants that the Commission was currently dealing with several cases including poultry, entertainment, urea/fertilizer, telecom and aviation sectors.
She said that the Commission’s effectiveness and its performance has been internationally acknowledged, adding that as a result of effective enforcement, the Commission got ‘Fair’ rating in independent evaluation by the Global Competition Review (GCR) in 2010 and 2011, and was also shortlisted by GCR for the Enforcement Award in the category ‘Agency of the Year – Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa’ for 2012.” They were further informed regarding peer review of the Commission by the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The Peer Review has been requested for and volunteered by CCP and the evaluation will be shared at the next meeting of UNCTAD expected to be held in July next year which will be presented before 152 countries. The Chairperson said that the peer review is an effort on behalf of CCP for the strengthening of the institution as well as building the image of Pakistan.
The Chairperson reiterated CCP’s commitment to pursue hard core anticompetitive conduct i.e., horizontal agreements among competitors not to compete such as price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation. She emphasized that all stakeholders including the government, the business community, judiciary, media, and consumer right groups can play a crucial role to strengthen and help CCP detect cartels and purge Pakistan’s economy of this ‘supreme evil of anti-trust’, as described by the U.S. Justice Department.
Earlier, CCP Member Dr. Joseph Wilson gave a detailed presentation on the Competition Act, 2010. CCP Member Vadiyya Khalil briefed the participants on the advocacy strategy of CCP. The participants took keen interest in the seminar .
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