FTC hosts competition training workshops |13 December 2017

As part of its activities to mark the World Competition Day on December 5, the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) has started a series of half-day competition training workshops for staff, members of the commission’s board and of the Appeal Board, representatives of the business community and the National Tender Board and the Procurement Oversight Unit.

The aim of the refresher training is to educate all stakeholders on how competition should run among businesses and the laws that govern it, all in relation with the consumers.

Topics to be covered in the competition training are introduction to the concept of competition and competition law, an overview and analysis of the provisions of the Fair Trading Commission Act 2009 and an overview of the importance for businesses to adhere to the Fair Competition Act 2009 and the potential benefits they obtain.  Swaziland born Siboniselizulu Meseko, an economist in the enforcement division in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) is the facilitator of the training.

The first interaction competition training started yesterday morning in the FTC conference room, Unity House, for the staff of FTC.

After a brief introductory welcome by the chief executive of the FTC, Francis Lebon, Ms Meseko started her PowerPoint training session with an introduction on the definition of competition based on the World Bank perspective and that of the Comesa perspective.

“Competition is ‘a situation in a market in which firms or sellers independently strive for buyers’ patronage, in order to achieve a particular business example, for example profits, sales of market share’,” she quoted the World Bank.

“The COMESA competition regulations define competition as ‘the striving or potential striving of two or more persons or organisations engaged in productions, distributions, supply, purchase or consumption of goods and services in a given market against one another which results in greater efficiency, high economic growth, increase in employment opportunities, lower prices and improved choice for consumers’,” she continued.

As for competition law, it is meant to protect the process of competition among market players.

The morning part for all staff was just an overview of the training session with a more in depth and more technical one on one competition training session for specific departments held in the afternoon.

Training for other stakeholders starts today and will end on Friday.

The Fair Trading Commission Act 2009 makes provision for FTC to be a consumer advocacy and a lobby to government. As a consumer advocacy, the act makes provisions for FTC to provide persons in business with general information with respect to their rights and obligation and to also provide consumers with general information with respect to their rights and obligation.

As a government lobby, the FTC shall assist a national body in developing and promoting the observance of standard of conduct for the purpose of ensuring good business practice.

Apart from the training FTC has started a consumer and competition outreach programme on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, advising consumers on their responsibilities as consumers and also of rights for information when buying a product or service.

FTC staff can be contacted via media stands being put up in different places on the three islands and they will also approach consumers on one on one basis. Information will also be shared through the distribution of leaflets.