ICCC still a toothless watchdog, says officer

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE Independent Consumer and Competition Commission has been operating without a policy framework to regulate a consumer and competition environment in the country.
David Kui, a policy officer with Treasury, revealed this during the commemoration of World Competition Day organised by the Independent Consumer and Competition Commission (ICCC) on Wednesday in Port Moresby.
He said the ICCC Act had been in place since 2002, but the policy aspect of it was not there.
Kui said different Government and State organisations ran their own regulatory frameworks.
He said there was no actual policy on the consumer competition environment.
Kui cited the case of National Information and Communications Technology Authority (Nicta), which ran and regulated the ITC industry, while other government entities did their own thing.
He said a review and public consultation that had been taking place would see and give more teeth to ICCC to regulate and monitor consumer and competition practices in the country.
Kui said some policies were the same but those polices could fit all or were relevant for all in terms of competition.
He said the policy review was done in 2014 and went through a consultation process with 192 recommendations made.
Kui said those recommendations ranged from policy changes, legislative reforms and outcome and administrative changes.
He said when drafting policies, the Government must consider the competition effects in making those policies and decisions, look at and remove statutory barriers to competition, and remove bottleneck infrastructures, among others.
World Competition Day on Dec 5 is held every year to mark the
United Nations’ adaptation of the international standard for competition laws.