Chairman attends OECD Forum

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu participated in the Global Forum on Competition. It was held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on 7-8 December 2023 in Paris. The Forum brought together heads of competition authorities from over 110 countries worldwide.

Chairman Sidhu also acted as a moderator in the breakout session on “Use of Economic Evidence in Cartel Cases on how can competition authorities effectively communicate economic evidence in court and to non-experts.”

The other speakers in the session were Cristina Camacho, Head of Cabinet and Head of International Relations, Portuguese Competition Authority, and John Davies, Member, Competition Appeal Tribunal, United Kingdom.

In his remarks, Chairman Sidhu highlighted the CCP’s shift from traditional evidence-gathering methods, such as dawn raids, to a more proactive approach.

The Commission has introduced a new Market Intelligence Unit (MIU) to leverage advanced technology and data analytics. The MIU aims to assess market data effectively, identifying collusive practices and enhancing the Commission’s enforcement capabilities, he said.

He emphasized that given the increased market concentration and higher vertical integration in Pakistan’s markets, establishing a dedicated department for data gathering and analysis became imperative.

The creation of this department will effectively address challenges in gathering cartel evidence.