The role of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) is highly significant to protect the rights of the consumer and to create a system of check and balance, especially to discourage unhealthy trend of cartelization in the country. To bring investment in Pakistan and restore the confidence of local and foreign investors, it’s highly imperative to establish transparency and fair play. Therefore, government should ensure the existence of such bodies which are instrumental for transparent and good governance as well. Munawar Iqbal, the Central President of Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) said this while addressing a press conference here at National Press Club on Wednesday.
He termed it unfortunate that vested interests are trying to influence legislation on the Competition Law and to introduce such amendments that aiming at weaken CCP and render it toothless against cartelization. These vested interest groups, he said, have been given a “free hand” in the past and they were allowed to make cartels and steal from the people through arbitrary fixation of prices and this fleecing has to be end for good now.
The Central President of the PCA opined at the occasion that CCP has played a very vital role to discourage monopolies, abuse of dominance, and deceptive marketing tactics. He said that without safeguarding the interests of small investors, we can not expect an economic turn on in the country. However, he said, its unfortunate that the cartels and mafias were hell bent to stop and hamper the working of such institutes.
Munawar Iqbal said that the Competition Ordinance 2009 in its original is an excellent piece of legislation that is in line with the best international practices and has been recognized by the competition agencies around the world. However, he said, actions taken under the ordinance have caused great disturbance among the few very powerful business interests who are trying to sabotage the law.
He said that the passage of competition law in its original form is crucial for the economic development and welfare of the country’s economy and the smooth running of the CCP will not only ensure a healthy business competition in the country but it will also establish the credibility of the democratic regime as servant of the people of Pakistan, he concluded. Hence, the civil society, media, the government and all stakeholders need to support the competition law and its smooth passage from the parliament.
Urdu Version:
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=3bd8fbf7-2905-4985-be7d-dd2433fb2afa)
