PRESS RELEASE
29 November 2021

PH, SG competition authorities ink MoU for cross-border cooperation

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today in a move to strengthen the bilateral ties between the competition authorities.

In a virtual ceremony, PCC Chairperson Arsenio M. Balisacan and CCCS Chief Executive Aik Kor Sia led the signing where both agencies agree to conduct capacity-building exercises, staff training, market research collaborations, and other joint activities.

The MoU also provides a mechanism, as allowed by both countries’ respective laws, for PCC and CCCS to notify each other of anti-competitive cases of mutual interest, exchange information, and coordinate in the conduct of enforcement activities affecting both agencies.

“In the face of evolving challenges arising from the pandemic and the eventual road to recovery, we look at international cooperation as a critical leverage in pursuing effective cross-border competition enforcement and advocacy. This partnership is deemed most valuable as we foster fair competition in our respective jurisdictions,” said PCC Chairperson Balisacan.

“Prior to the MoU, PCC and CCCS have worked together on several advocacy and enforcement fronts. Through this partnership, we aim to deepen the gains of our previous engagements and institutionalize our avenues for cooperation on matters of shared interest,” added Balisacan.

The PCC and CCCS have previously collaborated on dialogues and cases of common interest, including the Grab-Uber case in 2018 and the use of competition lens in digital markets. Both agencies have also accommodated staff exchanges and participated in advocacy events, including the headlining of CCCS’ executives at PCC’s Manila Forum on Competition in Developing Countries and its competition panel at the recent Philippine Economics Society Conference.

Both agencies have also actively pursued opportunities for international cooperation in the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition and the International Competition Network. As host for this year’s East Asia Conference on Competition Law and Policy, Singapore also turned over the hosting duties to Philippines next year.

The partnership is PCC’s 3^rd with an international counterpart, although its ties with Singapore’s competition authority started in 2016.

###

Link: https://www.phcc.gov.ph/press-releases/pcc-cccs-mou/