ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has initiated a restructuring programme to enhance the power of its members and balance it with the powers of the chairperson.

The reforms are likely to decrease the one person authority in the Commission and would give weight to the voice of other members.

The reforms have been initiated by acting chairperson Dr Joseph Wilson who was Member Mergers & Acquisitions in the CCP prior to August 22, 2013.

He became CCP chairman after the retirement of Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan from the said position.

Talking to media, here Monday, Dr Wilson highlighted the reforms undertaken by him in two and a half months.

He said the new internal restructuring would ensure that the Commission meeting is held at least once a month. Previously the meeting schedules and agendas were solely decided by the chairperson.

In line with the restructuring of the CCP, the management of the commission has upgraded the Leniency Regulations 2013, set to be notified in coming days.

The major change in the Leniency Regulation is to ensure the confidentiality of the application/applicant that is providing evidence in a CCP inquiry. The other main issue related to position of the applicant, as any person or entity can only avail this option of Leniency, prior to the decision by the CCP.

“The Commission may, if it is satisfied that the applicant has made a full and true disclosure in respect of the alleged violation, grant leniency under Regulation 3 or 4, as it may deem fit, by issuing a letter to the applicant,” Dr Wilson said.

“But previously it could be availed even after the CCP verdict, which is not correct as the accused know that they have been nabbed at that stage and all the hard work has been done by the CCP officials,” he added.

It has been observed that CCP activities have slowed down in the recent months, especially ‘search and inspection’ which decreased massively after the unsuccessful case of CNG sector that was taken up by the CCP in November 2012.

Responding to a question, Dr Wilson said that majority of the decisions made by the Commission ended in lengthy litigations whereas the Competition Tribunal remains non-functional.

Justice (Rtd) Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, former judge of Supreme Court of Pakistan, was appointed Chairman of the Competition Appellate Tribunal in July 2011, while the Technical Members of the tribunal were appointed in mid of 2012.

While the chairman of the tribunal has retired, one technical member Khalid A. Mirza, former Chairman of CCP, resigned from the tribunal. Muhammad Arshad Tabrez, former judge of Islamabad High Court, is the lone member in the Competition Tribunal.

The tribunal has decided only one case and only one case has been shifted from the routine courts to the tribunal.