GOVT. REFERS OIL-SUGAR-FERTILIZERS & CNG CARTELS MATTER TO CCP

Islamabad, July 26, 2008

The government has referred Oil, Sugar, Fertilizers and CNG cartels matter to Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Syed Naveed Qamar Federal Minister for Finance, Privatisation & Investment here today.

Syed Naveed Qamar asked the Chairman CCP Mr. Khalid Mirza to devise an effective plan to check the cartels of all other commodities to benefit the end consumer/ common man and to get improved services for the masses in an environment of healthy competition.

He said that the government was fully committed to strengthen the functioning of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in the larger public interest and its services would be fully utilized with an ability to carry out surprise checks to detect various cartels and termed CCP an implementing arm of the government.

Earlier, Mr. Khalid Mirza Chairman CCP gave a presentation regarding the composition and functioning of the organization and informed that CCP would focus to prohibit abuse of dominant position, agreements or deceptive market practices of all such anti-competitive practices that prevent, restrict or distort competition in the relevant market including predatory pricing, tie-ins, boycotting, making cartels or any attempt to threaten the competitive process.

He further said that the CCP role was confined to enhancing economic efficiency by acting against anti-competitive practices in all sectors and it should not be viewed as usurping the important functions of sector specific regulators. Our target was to promote free competition in all spheres of commercial and economic activity and to enhance economic efficiency and to protect consumers from anti-competitive behavior, he added.