21 January 2025 - The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand (TCCT) has organized the Interface Workshop between the Competition and Health Sector Regulators (Online) on 21 January 2025 as part of the ASEAN Competition Action Plan (ACAP) 2025 Deliverable 4.2.1. The workshop aims to explore critical intersections between competition law and health sector dynamics, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussions will cover a comprehensive overview of how competition and the health sector evolved under the pressures of the global health crisis, addressing both challenges and opportunities for reform.

The workshop brings together over 60 participants from both competition authorities and health regulators including the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC), Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC), ASEAN Health Cluster ASEAN Health Cluster 2 on Responding to All Hazards and Emerging Threats Members, and ASEAN Health Cluster 3 on Strengthening Health Systems and Access to Care Members.

The workshop is structured into three sessions with valuable insights on the topic from the perspective of competition authorities and health regulators. The workshop effectively promoted meaningful dialogue and exploration of collaboration between the competition sector and the health regulators. The insights gained from this event will provide food for thought for competition authorities and health regulators as they work to mitigate future global health crises. In a proactive step to mitigate future health crises, competition authorities and health regulators emphasized the need for vigilant monitoring of price gouging, facilitating market entry, and regional collaboration on supplies of medicine and vaccines. By fostering a resilient and responsive healthcare system, these actions aim to safeguard equitable access to healthcare and pharmaceuticals during global health emergencies. This milestone sets a strong foundation for future partnerships and advancements in the region.

This Workshop is part of the project on the Technical Assistance to Strengthen Competition Law Enforcement in ASEAN (AJCEP Phase 3) which is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) was officially established in March 2006. JAIF aims to support integration efforts to create the ASEAN Community by facilitating the implementation of the ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, which consists of the Blueprints for the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), as well as the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025. JAIF also aims to promote greater cooperation between ASEAN and Japan by implementing various projects in the areas of disaster management, counter terrorism, maritime cooperation, economic integration, small and medium-sized enterprise development, youth exchanges, Japanese language training, and others.