Putting pen to paper: Lipimile (R ) and Malonda sign MOU
The Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC), on September 4 2015, became the first national competition authority to sign a cooperation agreement with the COMESA Competition Commission (CCC), a pact which will see the two institutions coordinate their activities.
CFTC is an independent government body which has a mandate to regulate, monitor, control and prevent acts or behaviours which would adversely affect competition and fair trading in Malawi. On the other hand, CCC is a regional body whose mandate is to enforce provisions with regard to trade between Member States and promote competition within the Common Market.
Malonda, Lipimile talk to some guests
Making his remarks, CCC Chief Executive Officer George Lipimile said the cooperation between CCC and national competition authorities in the enforcement of competition law is one of the key elements for deepening regional integration.
“We value the working relationship with the CFTC which has been cordial since our commencement of operations in 2013. We believe that this MoU will enhance that relationship in the years ahead. Working together in identifying and remedying anticompetitive business practices, we will ensure that markets are open and competitive for the ultimate benefit of the consumers in Malawi and the COMESA region as a whole,” said Lipimile.
CFTC Executive Director, Charlotte Wezi Malonda said the formal co-operation will open doors of opportunities for the competition and consumer protection agency, and for Malawians, to actively participate in trade in the COMESA region.
“We believe in earnest that Competition is trade enhancing, and therefore, we would like to see this kind of close co-operation in the implementation of our local laws and the COMESA regulations,” said Malonda.
The cooperation agreement between the two authorities provides a setting for CFTC and CCC to compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, and identify good practices while at the same time ensuring that they are no inconsistent decision making which is the key goal for the current and future competition law enforcement.
Invited guests pose for a group photograph
The Cooperation Agreement also offers a new approach to the economic challenges that the two institutions encounter in the enforcement of competition law at national and regional level.
Speeches