Foreign Investment Advisory Service - Competition Policy, Competitiveness, and Investment in a Global Economy

Competition Policy, Competitiveness, and Investment in a Global Economy

Organized by the World Bank Group (Private Sector Development & Foreign Investment Advisory Service) and UNCTAD in cooperation with the European Commission

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
May 10-12, 2004

The general objective of the conference was to analyse the relationship between competition, productivity, competitiveness, economic growth and poverty reduction – what is/is not known – and review the state of competition policy in Eastern and Southern Africa. Specific objectives were:

i) to review the nature of public and private restraints to domestic and international competition;

ii) to analyze the extent to which the existing institutional framework (liberalization of trade, investment, licensing, entry-exit of firms, competition law-policy, and their inter-face, effectiveness and limitations) provides adequate instruments (policies, laws, skills, and institutions) to promote competition;

iii) to appraise the actual functioning of the regime, in particular through the discussion of selected case studies in the region and elsewhere;

iv) to provide recommendations on how best to incorporate competition policy into broad-based investment and PSD promotion policies; and

v) to evaluate instruments for international cooperation, capacity, and institution building.

Agenda

Session I: Competition, Growth and Poverty Reduction

Andrea Goldstein, Senior Investment Policy Officer, Foreign Investment Advisory Service, The World Bank Group and Rughvir (Shyam) Khemani, Advisor, Competition Policy, Investment Climate Department, The World Bank Group
Pradeep S. Mehta, Secretary-General, Centre for International Trade, Economics & Environment, India (Presentation)
John Preston, Senior Advisor, DFID, United Kingdom (Presentation)
Session II: Framework of Modern Competition Law – Policy
Rughvir (Shyam) Khemani, Advisor, Competition Policy, Investment Climate Department, The World Bank Group
Hassan Qaqaya, Chief, Advisory Services and Capacity Building Section, Competition Law and Policy Branch, UNCTAD (Presentation)

Key Note Speech: Economic Reforms and the Business Climate in Tanzania by H. E. Juma Ngasongwa, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Tanzania

Session III: Anti-competitive Business Conducts (Cartels and Collusive Behaviour): Cases and Country Experiences

David Anderson, Allen & Overy, United Kingdom
Godfrey Mkocha, Commissioner, Fair Competition Commission, Tanzania
Peter Muchoki Njoroge, Monopolies and Prices Commission of Kenya

Session IV: Issues in Market Dominance (Mergers, etc.): Cases and Country Experiences

Alexander Kububa, Commissioner, Industry and Trade Competition Commission, Zimbabwe
Norman Manoim, Competition Tribunal, South Africa
George Lipimile, Executive Director, Zambia Competition Commission

Session V: Competition Advocacy and Regulated Industries: Cases and Country Experiences

Matfobhi Riba, Senior Trade Legal Affairs Officer, Competition Law and Policy Branch, UNCTAD
Tomás Serebrisky, World Bank Institute
Menzi Simelane, Commissioner, Competition Commission, South Africa
Pippo Ranci, Past President, Italian Electricity and Gas Authority

Session VI: Private Sector Perspectives

Andrea Goldstein, Senior Investment Policy Officer, Foreign Investment Advisory Service, The World Bank Group
Augustine Seyuba, Director, Group Corp. Affairs, Zambian Breweries PLC
Richard d’Offay, Market Director, Trois Frères Distillery, Seychelles
Clive Stanbrook, Stanbrook-Hooper, Belgium
Egas Mussanhane, President, Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique

Session VII: Global and Regional Competition Issues