1 / 13

Opportunities & Challenges for Competition Reforms in E&S Africa CUTS Viewpoint

Opportunities & Challenges for Competition Reforms in E&S Africa CUTS Viewpoint. Africa Stakeholders’ Workshop Africa Competition Forum 12 th March 2010, Nairobi. Rijit Sengupta. Outline of Presentation. Introduction to CUTS International CUTS Competition Projects in Africa Objectives

jalen
Télécharger la présentation

Opportunities & Challenges for Competition Reforms in E&S Africa CUTS Viewpoint

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Opportunities & Challenges for Competition Reforms in E&S Africa CUTS Viewpoint Africa Stakeholders’ Workshop Africa Competition Forum 12th March 2010, Nairobi Rijit Sengupta

  2. Outline of Presentation • Introduction to CUTS International • CUTS Competition Projects in Africa • Objectives • Countries • Key Messages • Future Challenges Relating to Competition • Select Future Projects in Africa • Concluding Remarks

  3. Introduction to CUTS International • Genesis – consumer rights organisation • Vision: Consumer sovereignty in the framework of social justice and equality within and across borders • Landmarks in relevant CUTS activity • Involvement in competition reforms in India • Active programmes on competition policy and law issues in 30 countries of Africa and Asia • 2 resource centres in Africa, 4 overall • Extensive contacts across SH groups, and partnerships with CSOs in Africa

  4. CUTS Projects in Africa COUNTRIES OBJECTIVES KEY MESSAGES • Sensitising ‘key stakeholders’ about benefits from competition reforms • Bottom up-approach (7Up Model) • Capacity building of multiple stakeholders on CPL • Mobilising CSO involvement in competition reforms • Collating baseline information on state of competition • Advocacy for evolution of CPL & enforcement • Attracting donor/IO attention to CPL

  5. CUTS Projects in Africa COUNTRIES OBJECTIVES KEY MESSAGES • PAST & PRESENT Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo • FUTURE Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia

  6. CUTS Projects in Africa COUNTRIES OBJECTIVES KEY MESSAGES • Very little political will • Low stakeholder demand (if at all) • Only a few interested donors • Interest exists among scholars/academia; no support • Business community not integrated into the process • Huge training and capacity building requirements • Very little/incorrect reporting in media (print & electr.) • Sensitisation of parliamentarians imperative

  7. CUTS Projects in Africa COUNTRIES OBJECTIVES KEY MESSAGES • Competition Authorities (CA) created, but lack capacity • Often inappropriate sequencing of cases by CA • Lack of capacity building opportunities for CA staff • Little or no clarity on interface issues • CA not able to establish strong linkages with consumers, vice-versa (affecting consumer support)

  8. Future Challenges Relating to Competition • Detailed socio-economic assessment of ACPs and dissemination of results (POLICY ADVOCACY) • Integration of competition reforms into wider policy discourses (EXPANDING FRONTIERS) • Regional Vs National Competition Laws (CLARITY) • Competition reforms in post-EPAs (OPPORTUNITY) • Governments need to support enforcement actions • WORLD COMPETITION DAY!

  9. Future Challenges Relating to Competition • Long-term training/CB of CA staff • Technical Assistance for new/young CAs (INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION) • Integration of CPL into Univ./Management courses • Continuous/long-term programmes for CB of key stakeholders in competition issues • Support for consumer organisations (‘watchdogs’) • Donor community/IGOs maintain/increase support • Policy needs to be translated into administrative actions (WGs, Parliamentary Committee)

  10. Select Competition Projects in Africa • Capacity building of E&S African SH on Competition Assessment Framework (CAF) • Target groups: practitioners and stakeholders • Methodology: • Selection of project countries • Identification of resource persons (esp. from Africa/Asia) • Preparation of ToT for resource persons • Collection/preparation of ‘case studies’ • Basic and advanced training on application of CA • Production of ‘country-specific handbooks’ (on application of CAF in 2-3 specific markets)

  11. Select Competition Projects in Africa • Building capacity and developing the environment for effective competition regimes in select MENA countries • Establish contacts with CSOs, CAs, other SH • Plan and undertake a scoping-mission • Develop baseline on prevailing state and challenges • Mobilise key SH to discuss competition reforms options • Enhance capacity of SH to engage on CPL issues • Initiate processes for participatory competition reforms • Establish forum for discourses on competition reforms • Link the national competition community to the outside

  12. Concluding Remarks • Need for Africa Competition Forumfirst recommended by CUTS in August 2008 • Identified Functions/Roles of ACF • To take discussions on competition reforms outside the community related directly to CPL • Respond to capacity building needs of key SH on CPL in Africa • Provide a platform for discussing and addressing challenges in competition reforms faced by African nations • Foster international cooperation for competition reforms in Africa

  13. Ahsante Sana! rsg@cuts.org www.cuts-ccier.org

More Related