6 May 2021 – Today, under the multi-phase Competition Law Implementation Program (CLIP), eight ASEAN officials completed a ten-week program designed to strengthen their skills in leading and training staff to effectively enforce national competition laws. Since March 2021, experienced regulators from Australia provided guidance and mentoring to the participants to develop their ability to lead training activities, manage investigation teams and strengthen their understanding of competition analysis and law enforcement. Through cooperation to implement competition policies and laws, this program and other CLIP activities aim to support the effective functioning of markets and the protection of vulnerable consumers in AANZFTA countries.

 

In this train-the-trainer program, ASEAN competition officials came together in online webinars to discuss topical enforcement matters and approaches to manage risks, design knowledge management systems, and deliver effective staff training. Additional one-to-one mentoring sessions allowed participants to explore questions and confirm their understanding of issues discussed in the group sessions. A trainers’ guide/toolkit compiling important resource material from the programme will be developed to support in-house trainings carried out in each competition agency in ASEAN.

 

Commenting on the Train-the-trainer programme, Mr Mohd Hasbullah Mohamad Faudzi from the Malaysia Competition Commission noted:

"I really enjoyed and learned a lot from this programme, especially from our two learned and experienced Trainers! In addition, a one-to-one session with my Trainer, is really interesting as both of us can freely exchange and share perspectives to deal in real-life scenarios related to the operation of the Commission."

 

Another participant in the programme, Ms Genevieve Jusi from the Philippine Competition Commission said the training has helped her to “[be] effective in communicating and implementing the strategies needed for the investigation team to achieve its goal, as well as balancing the need to manage the expectations of the office and the institution". 

 

Support for future trainers is increasingly important as the region's competition institutions and their capabilities and experiences grow and deepen. Each of the eight ASEAN participants in this online training programme were identified by their home agency as future leaders and staff trainers. Participating countries were: Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam.

 

This activity was delivered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat. Currently in its fourth phase supported by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Economic Cooperation Support Programme, CLIP focuses on supporting ASEAN competition agencies to build knowledge and practical expertise in the region by sharing resources, skills, and techniques for effective competition law implementation.