Bali, Indonesia, 15 November 2011
The ASEAN Competition Conference convened here from 15-16 November has raised public awareness and support for competition policy in ASEAN by providing a platform for discussion and networking among competition-related authorities and stakeholders in intra- and extra-ASEAN.
The Vice Minister of Trade of Indonesia, H.E. Dr Bayu Krisnamurthi said in his opening remarks that competition policy and trade policy were two sets of interlink policies. Trade policy without proper competition policy, however, could lead to free market competition and may have potential damage to the market competition and domestic trade in return. As such, competition policy would play important role in minimising possible negative effects which might result from free trade arrangements. He further highlighted that competition policy would be an important part to support trade liberalisation and increase competitiveness of a nation.
Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community, H.E. Mr Pushpanathan Sundram, highlighted the importance of competition policy in encouraging healthy business rivalries, fostering a level playing field, reducing abusive or collusive practices, and improving the efficiency of resource mobilisation and allocation within and across economies. He added that the lessons and insights gained during the Conference would be useful in assisting the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) and ASEAN Member States to chart the way forward for regional and national activities in the field of competition.
The Conference was attended by about 200 participants, including government officials, members of parliament, business persons, politicians, academics and the media. About 30 prominent speakers from within and outside ASEAN region delivered their presentations and exchanged views with participants at the Conference.
The Conference was co-organised by the ASEAN Secretariat, AEGC and the Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition of Indonesia (KPPU), and jointly supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Economic Cooperation Work Program, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
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