PRESS RELEASE 2018-002
31 January 2018

  

PCC to hold inaugural Manila Forum on Competition in Developing Countries

 

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is set to hold the inaugural Forum on Competition in Developing Countries (FCDC) on Feb. 1-2, at Makati Shangri-La, Makati City.

The FCDC is deemed the first of its kind in the international circuit of antitrust authorities, where the practice of competition law and economics takes on a perspective of developing countries.

“There is no one-size-fits-all competition configuration for economies in different stages of development. The policies may vary widely but at the core of the regulations is the principle of fairness in enforcing the competition law and policies,” said PCC Chairman Arsenio Balisacan.

The 2018 Manila Forum sets the stage for competition lawyers, economists and researchers in Asia and the Pacific region to engage in the global discourse on competition law and policy. The forum brings together learnings from the cross-cutting experiences of both developed and developing jurisdictions.

Topics in the forum include talks on special considerations for developing countries in tackling competition in development; how the quality of institutions affect competition policy; how is effectiveness of competition in developing countries; what are the public interest considerations in developing competition policies; how competition policies affect conglomerates and SMEs; and how competition policies affect disruptive innovations.

PCC, as the implementing body and enforcer of the Philippine Competition Act, acknowledges the need for more appreciation in competition and antitrust concerns given the law’s jurisdiction across all sectors.

“The appetite to learn competition in law and economics is high because they affect every businessman and every consumer. In the end, what the competition authorities like PCC do is to look after consumer welfare and promote competition in the market,” he added.   

The FCDC holds a series of plenary and panel discussions featuring distinguished competition and development experts, prominent business leaders, high-level government officials, and other experts from professional societies and academic institutions.

More than 300 representatives and key stakeholders are expected to participate, while speakers include Yasuyuki Sawada (Chief Economist, Asian Development Bank), Frederic Jenny (Competition Committee Chairman, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), Alan Fels (Founding Chairman, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission), Kim Sang-jo (Chairman, Korea Fair Trade Commission), Hiroyuki Odagir (Commissioner, Japan Fair Trade Commission), Joey Concepcion, (Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship and RFM Corp./Go Negosyo-Philippines president), businessmen Jaime Zobel de Ayala (Chairman/CEO, Ayala Corporation), Tony Fernades (Tune Group Sendirian Berhad), and Francisco Sandejas (Narra Venture Capital), among others.

Every panel includes a renowned economist, an expert competition lawyer, and a leading figure in the business sector for a balanced perspective on competition and antitrust practice of law and economics.    

Three other fora on Competition Law and Policy are set for law and economics faculties and researchers, members of the Philippine Judiciary, and ASEAN Heads of Competition Agencies  were held recently leading to the main event.

For other details, visit the event website www.themanilaforum.org or PCC at www.phcc.gov.ph.  

See article: http://phcc.gov.ph/pcc-hold-inaugural-manila-forum-competition-developing-countries/