The Chairperson, Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), Rahat Kaunan Hassan, has said that the effective implementation of competition policy is critical for consumers. “A competitive market benefits consumers by enabling them to obtain best value, and the economic performance generally by improving efficiency,” she said while addressing a seminar organized by the Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP) in connection with the World Consumer Rights Day. The CCP Chairperson added that Competition Law and Consumer Protection Law are two feathers of the same wing and share some common roots. For instance, she said both laws deal with distortion in the marketplace which is driven by the interaction between supply and demand. “Notwithstanding the common mandate of public welfare, competition law operates more at the macro level where the eventual beneficiary is the consumer.” She said that out of the four pillars of competition law, two are primarily preemptive while the other two are curative. “In the preemptive measures such as prohibiting agreements which aim at collusion, exclusivity, price fixing, capping of production, discrimination, exclusion, division of territories, the agreements can only be exempted if they improve production or distribution; promote technical progress allowing customers fair share of the resulting benefit and; benefits clearly outweigh the adverse effects of lessening competition.” Rahat said that the role of Competition Agency to ensure that big fish must not swallow the small fish and that competition in the relevant market is neither reduced and distorted nor prevented. The focus is not on competitors or on consumer directly but on competition in the relevant market. She said that CCP is one of the law enforcement agencies that provide quick justice. Citing various cases taken up by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) of CCP, she said that effective redressal of violations was provided. In a recent case, CCP took action on a complaint filed by world famous car company against a local company that was using its trade mark in unauthorized manner. The CCP Chairperson said that the Commission’s enforcement philosophy was to not to deter but discipline businesses. Its role is to work as a referee who strives to ensure fair play and not necessarily as a prosecutor for imposition of punishments. In line with this philosophy, she said that the Commission’s compliance oriented approach has started producing positive results and businesses are now approaching CCP for correcting their business behavior. She said that CCP has taken actions in almost every sector of country’s economy without fear and favour and will continue to do so in future. She urged businesses to come forward and assist the Commission in identifying anti competitive practices in the business and industry without fear with the objective of creating a level playing field. Rahat appreciated the role being played by the Consumer Association of Pakistan and other such organizations for standing for consumer rights. She said that CCP will work together with these organizations to take actions for promotion of competition. Addressing the seminar, CAP President Kaukab Iqbal lauded the role being played by CCP for promoting competition in the economy. He said that CCP has taken actions against influential groups that indicated its commitment to its cause. The other eminent speakers of the seminar included Dr. Shahid Hassan Siddiqui, eminent economist, Mr. Kkhalid Tawab, Vice President FPCCI, Syed Jauhar Ali Qureshi, Presidet Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Mr. Kalim Siddiqui, President BYCO Petroleum Pakistan Limited, Engineer Farida Essa, General Secretary CAP.
The Chairperson, Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), Rahat Kaunan Hassan, has said that the effective implementation of competition policy is critical for consumers.
“A competitive market benefits consumers by enabling them to obtain best value, and the economic performance generally by improving efficiency,” she said while addressing a seminar organized by the Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP) in connection with the World Consumer Rights Day. The CCP Chairperson added that Competition Law and Consumer Protection Law are two feathers of the same wing and share some common roots. For instance, she said both laws deal with distortion in the marketplace which is driven by the interaction between supply and demand. “Notwithstanding the common mandate of public welfare, competition law operates more at the macro level where the eventual beneficiary is the consumer.”
She said that out of the four pillars of competition law, two are primarily preemptive while the other two are curative. “In the preemptive measures such as prohibiting agreements which aim at collusion, exclusivity, price fixing, capping of production, discrimination, exclusion, division of territories, the agreements can only be exempted if they improve production or distribution; promote technical progress allowing customers fair share of the resulting benefit and; benefits clearly outweigh the adverse effects of lessening competition.” Rahat said that the role of Competition Agency to ensure that big fish must not swallow the small fish and that competition in the relevant market is neither reduced and distorted nor prevented. The focus is not on competitors or on consumer directly but on competition in the relevant market. She said that CCP is one of the law enforcement agencies that provide quick justice. Citing various cases taken up by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) of CCP, she said that effective redressal of violations was provided. In a recent case, CCP took action on a complaint filed by world famous car company against a local company that was using its trade mark in unauthorized manner.
The CCP Chairperson said that the Commission’s enforcement philosophy was to not to deter but discipline businesses. Its role is to work as a referee who strives to ensure fair play and not necessarily as a prosecutor for imposition of punishments. In line with this philosophy, she said that the Commission’s compliance oriented approach has started producing positive results and businesses are now approaching CCP for correcting their business behavior.
She said that CCP has taken actions in almost every sector of country’s economy without fear and favour and will continue to do so in future. She urged businesses to come forward and assist the Commission in identifying anti competitive practices in the business and industry without fear with the objective of creating a level playing field.
Rahat appreciated the role being played by the Consumer Association of Pakistan and other such organizations for standing for consumer rights. She said that CCP will work together with these organizations to take actions for promotion of competition.
Addressing the seminar, CAP President Kaukab Iqbal lauded the role being played by CCP for promoting competition in the economy. He said that CCP has taken actions against influential groups that indicated its commitment to its cause.
The other eminent speakers of the seminar included Dr. Shahid Hassan Siddiqui, eminent economist, Mr. Kkhalid Tawab, Vice President FPCCI, Syed Jauhar Ali Qureshi, Presidet Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Mr. Kalim Siddiqui, President BYCO Petroleum Pakistan Limited, Engineer Farida Essa, General Secretary CAP.
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