Asean members debate competition issues
Asean members debate competition issues
The 17th Asean Expert Group on Competition opened yesterday in Vientiane with discussion on aspects of competition, especially the Asean Competition Action Plan and its five-year implementation schedule.
The three-day meeting was attended by more than 30 representatives of authorities and agencies responsible for competition policies from the 10 Asean member states and the Asean Secretariat.
It was chaired by Mr Khouanchay Iemsouthi, Deputy Director General of the Domestic Trade Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce as well as the Chairman of AEGC for 2016.
The AEGC is an official body comprising representatives from the competition authorities and agencies responsible for competition policy in Asean member states. It coordinates competition policies in Asean.
Implementation of the tasks and activities relating to competition policy, as targeted for delivery under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint and AEGC meeting and relevant meetings will take place twice a year.
The main objective of the Group is to foster a culture of fair competition.
To achieve this, several strategic actions have been laid out in the AEC Blueprint.
These include endeavours to introduce competition policy in all Asean member states by 2015 and establishing a network of authorities or agencies responsible for competition policy to serve as a forum for discussing and coordinating competition policies.
Also slated are capacity building programmes or activities for Asean member states in developing national competition policy as well as the development of a regional guideline on competition policy by 2020, based on country experience and international best practice with a view to creating a fair competition environment, Mr Khouanchay said.
In addition, several major milestones were recorded in 2015. Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar, Laos and the Philippines joined the other five Asean member states in enacting competition laws, thus bring the number of Asean member states with comprehensive competition laws to nine (except Cambodia), exceeding the target of seven Asean member states.
The world has also watched this regional integration into a more unified Asean community. The formation of the AEC signals a new area for Asean, including in the area of competition integration.
Mr Khouanchay said he hoped he would be able to efficiently continue the achievements of his predecessors, throughout his term as the AEGC chair.
Work on competition will now focus on the Asean Competition Action Plan (2016-2025).
The plan envisages continued focus to put in place national competition laws in Asean member states based on international best practices.
It also cites strengthening the institutional capacities of Asean member states to enforce competition law, increasing awareness of competition policy and law in the region, enhancing regional cooperation arrangements and working towards greater competition policy and law harmonisation.
At the meeting, discussion is based on the recalling of the decision of the 22nd Asean Economic Ministers Retreat, with Asean Ministers tasked with relevant sectoral bodies to revisit some of the sectoral work plans to ensure they are policy-focused, strategic and containing Asean-wide measures.
At this meeting, delegates will discuss amendments to the Asean Competition Action Plan 2016-2025 to ensure it is in line with ministers' decisions.
Asean competition activity has attracted interest from many international projects including GIZ. The Project Steering Committee Meeting concerning competition policy and law in Asean will be convened on March 24.
This project has been supported by GIZ in terms of technical and financial assistance. A report on the previous activities of the project and preparations for future activities will be discussed at this meeting.
