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The Competition Commission elected as new Chair of the African Competition Forum

The Competition Commission is mandated to enforce competition laws in Mauritius by regulating and promoting competition in markets. Competition matters within and across national borders as countries.

For this reason, competition authorities are called upon to collaborate, region-wise as well as globally, with one another in different fields namely enforcement, advocacy, capacity building, research, development of best practices, among others. The Competition Commission has always been actively involved at continental and international levels across these fields in view of advancing the competition cause. Such collaborations have allowed the Competition Commission to expand its network, interact with well-established and experienced peers, and benefit from a rich learning curve.

The Competition Commission has laid much emphasis in recent years on strengthening its interactions across continental and international fora. At the continental level, the Competition Commission is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional economic groupings and accordingly partakes in their competition works and endeavours. The Competition Commission is also a member of the African Competition Forum (ACF), a network of African competition authorities, working towards the adoption of competition laws and best practices, building capacity for African competition agencies and advocating upon the benefits of competition to stakeholders. The Competition Commission is also an active contributor in negotiations occurring at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) level for creating a single, integrated market for the continent. The Competition Commission spares no efforts in playing its part, alongside peers in the continent, for a more competitive Africa. The Competition Commission’s cross-border contributions are equally mirrored on the international front through its engagement in the works of the International Competition Network (ICN), a specialised network of competition agencies and NGOs.

The Competition Commission is pleased to announce that it has been privileged with two back-to-back and distinct nominations in a leadership role at the levels of the ACF and ICN. The Competition Commission has been elected as chair of the ACF Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the ICN’s Merger Working Group.

Nomination at continental level – Chair of ACF
The Competition Commission took the helm of the ACF Steering Committee during elections held at the ACF Biennial Conference in The Gambia on 31 October and 1 November 2023. As of note, the Competition Commission has succeeded the Competition Commission of South Africa in the position of ACF Chair.

Launched in Kenya in 2011, the ACF is a network of African national and multinational competition authorities currently regrouping 36 members (31 national competition authorities and 5 regional competition agencies). The ACF’s mission is to promote the adoption of competition principles in the implementation of national and regional economic policies of African countries, with the aim of reducing poverty and enhancing inclusive economic growth, development, and consumer welfare by fostering competition in markets. The ACF meets its objectives by encouraging and assisting African countries not having a competition law to adopt one; helping to build the capacity of existing and future African competition agencies; and advocating the benefits of implementing competition laws among governments, the public, and relevant stakeholders.

Over the past years, the ACF has conducted several collaborative research with member agencies on the state of competition from the national and regional perspectives. It has published study reports highlighting the competition issues and potential recommendations on various sectors, including construction, airline, pharmaceutical and telecommunications. The ACF also been active in building capacity of its members over the years by organising different trainings on merger assessment, anti-cartel enforcement and competition investigation techniques.

Nomination at International level – Co-chair of ICN Merger Working Group
The Competition Commission has been selected to co-chair the ICN’s Merger Working Group. This selection has been made during the ICN Annual Conference which was held between 18 and 20 October 2023. In the past, the Competition Commission has had the opportunity to co-chair the ICN’s Advocacy Working Group.

The ICN is a specialized network of 141 competition authorities from 129 jurisdictions, enriched by the participation of non-governmental advisors (“NGAs” – representatives from business, consumer groups, academics, the legal and economic professions, and international organizations). The ICN was established in October 2001 by officials of 15 competition agencies from around the world. The ICN is guided by a Steering Group whose works take place primarily in the following five substantive working groups – advocacy, agency effectiveness, cartel, merger, and unilateral conduct.
The ICN’s mission is to advocate the adoption of superior standards and procedures in competition policy around the world, formulate proposals for procedural and substantive convergence, and seek to facilitate effective international cooperation to the benefit of member agencies, consumers and economies worldwide.

Welcoming both nominations, Mr Deshmuk Kowlessur, the Executive Director of the Competition Commission, states –
« Our nominations attest to the value gained by our deliverables through our enforcement and advocacy record nationally as well as and through our engagements in competition endeavours on the continent and in the international community. The ACF and ICN are both prestigious networks of competition agencies whose works bring much value and guidance to agencies – developed and developing alike – across the globe.

The Competition Commission has had the honour of holding the position of ACF Steering Committee vice-Chair since 2014. Much ground has been covered over the past years be it on capacity building front or ACF research work. As the new ACF Chair and with the able collaboration of my peers, I am committed towards ensuring that the ACF continues to deliver on its mission for all member-agencies and Africa.

The Competition Commission is further honoured to be taking up its role as ICN Co-chair alongside leading competition authorities such as the European Commission, the Norwegian Competition Authority and the Competition Bureau Canada. We are very keen to contribute to the development of competition policy at the level of the international community of competition authorities, and we will intensify collaboration with international competition peers notably regarding the promotion of the adoption of best practices in the design and operation of merger review regimes.

These distinguished nominations represent an interesting opportunity for both the Competition Commission and the country to become more visible and make our voices heard in the region and on the international scene. »

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