ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is set to develop and declare e-commerce policy guidelines to build consumer confidence in the online marketplace and encourage fair trade practices to prevent any possible abuse and deceptive marketing practices in the e-commerce domain.

CCP Chairperson Rahat Kaunain Hassan on Friday said that the commission had initiated the process of hiring sectoral specialists in around 12 sectors including automobile, cement, energy (electric power and renewable energy), ghee-cooking oil, sugar, wheat, banking, pharmaceutical, poultry, education, road construction, and steel.

She was addressing the 22nd meeting of the Competition Consultative Group (CCG) and highlighted the CCP’s initiatives, performance and strategic vision.

The CCG is an informal think tank which the CCP established in 2008 to consult with the stakeholders on competition-related matters, but it became redundant after 2013.

A presentation was also given on the CCP’s draft report on SME sector exploring the ways and means of improving competitiveness and economic efficiency of SMEs by providing recommendations to the draft SME Policy Framework.

She briefed the participants about the CCP’s strategic vision and said that enforcement and policy intervention remain the top priority of the commission.

She said that the other key areas of focus include the essential commodities for removing anti-competitive distortions in the market, public procurement for reducing collusive practices and promoting fair competition.

The CCP is also focused towards digital markets and e-commerce for consumer protection, she added.

The CCP shared with the participants that July 2020 to June 2021, the CCP completed 20 inquiries, initiated 21 new inquiries, conducted 12 search and inspections, issued 120 show-cause notices, completed hearings of 82 sugar mills in the sugar cartelisation case, and has passed four orders. In the same period, the CCP issued two Policy Notes to the government in the sugar and wheat sectors and processed 49 mergers and acquisitions and 40 exemption applications.

The participants were also briefed on the draft report, ‘Promoting Economic Efficiency of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan.’

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2021