For fair competition, CCI reaches out to policymakers

NEW DELHI: To ensure healthy competition practices, fair trade watchdog Competition Commission is meeting various government policymakers as part of its awareness initiatives.

The Competition Commission of India ( CCI), that keeps a tab on unfair trade practices at the market place, is also carrying out sensitisation programmes for various trade association and private sector players.

CCI has said it is making "definitive forays in advocating competition assessment of central government's rules, regulations and policies so as to inhibit the potential harm they may cause to competition and overall economic interest of the country".

In this regard, the Commission recently held preliminary meetings with "key policymakers" of various Ministries, including Surface Transport & Highways; and Health & Family Welfare, according to its latest quarterly newsletter.

Besides, there were similar parleys with Department of Pharmaceuticals, Defence Research & Development Organization, Department of Higher Education.

"The preliminary meetings are the first step initiated to understand the dynamics of the policies, rules and regulations framed by the Ministry/Department," it said.

Further, the Commission would make efforts to encourage them to incorporate competition assessment of policies as a regular practice to ensure that there is least competition distortions to meet the intended social objectives.

The fair trade regulator is also engaging with states to create awareness among their policymakers about various provisions of the Competition Act.

Apart from these activities, efforts are on to sensitise trade associations about fair competition norms.

As per the newsletter, adoption of competition compliance programme by trade associations and their members would "not only help to avoid penalties and damage to reputation, but also inculcate good governance in their associations and respective constituents".

Abuse of dominant market position, cartelisation and bid rigging activities are among the main anti-competitive practices.