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Bangladesh Country Advocacy Document. Iftekar Ahmed Senior Research Fellow, BEI January 2, 2006. Competition Law/Policy in Bangladesh. No Competition Policy Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practice (Control and Prevention) Ordinance, 1970 Has not been implemented but still valid
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Bangladesh Country Advocacy Document Iftekar Ahmed Senior Research Fellow, BEI January 2, 2006 Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Competition Law/Policy in Bangladesh • No Competition Policy • Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practice (Control and Prevention) Ordinance, 1970 • Has not been implemented but still valid • Ordinance prohibits • Undue concentration of individual economic power • Unreasonable monopoly power • Unreasonable restrictive trade practices Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
MRTP Ordinance 1970 • Relevant phrases are not properly explained • Provides for the creation of a Monopoly Control Authority to enforce the provisions of the Ordinance, but was never constituted • Never been implemented • If revived needs amendments • Need for a new law Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Most Prevalent Anti-Competitive Practices in Bangladesh Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Challenges • Challenges to instituting a competition regime are enormous • No quick and simple remedy that will be immediately effective across the board • Even if a law is drafted, past experience shows poor implementation with weak enforcement Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Develop Constituency • Targeted stakeholders for advocacy and capacity building • Government • sensitize and motivate • Business • demonstrate benefits of a competition regime • Media • galvanize wider public understanding and support • Consumers • empower to champion and act as pressure group Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Three-Step Process Step 1: Create demand • Raise awareness of stakeholders Step 2: Draft/Amend/Adopt Law • capacity building of policy makers • wide consultation Step 3: Implementation and enforcement of law • capacity building of the Competition Authority Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Strategy 1: Target Sectors • Identify priority sectors • Selection Criteria: • High visibility • Wide impact • Rapid implementation • Demonstrable benefits Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Strategy 2: Information Cell • Create an Information Cell and Consumer Hotline • Monitor abuses of market power • Generate competition status reports • Provide dialogue space for stakeholders Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Strategy 3: Consumer Awareness • Information dissemination • Conduct training on competition issues Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
Strategies Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Create Demand Draft Law Implement Law Strategy 1: Target Sectors Strategy 2: Information Cell Strategy 3: Consumer Awareness Bangladesh Enterprise Institute
market business consumer competition regime Competition Authority government Trade bodies information cell Media informed consumer civil society Bangladesh Enterprise Institute