Pakistan launches drive against cement cartel

New drive comes after government passes Competition Bill 2010.

 

{reg}Pakistan will launch a major drive against alleged cement cartels in the country, after the passage of its new competition bill, a report from Beta Recorder said.

 

The report says the CCP was only biding its time in the past few weeks, after the competition law expired, and was lobbying people for the passage of the bill.

The CCP continued to conduct inquiries against cartels and companies involved in deceptive marketing practices during the period when the law was not passed by the Parliament, the report said.

The CCP now aims to complete all pending actions against cartels, which were not implemented due to absence of legal backing. The Competition Ordinance had lapsed on August 16, 2010 creating a vacuum in the competition regime in the country. The chairperson of CCP, Rahat Kaunain Hassan, pursued the pending Competition Bill with top government officials and she was assured that the Bill would be tabled before the house.

The government fulfilled its promise and tabled the Competition Bill, 2009 in the National Assembly on September 23, 2010 where it was passed unanimously. The President signed the Competition Bill on October 6, 2010, the report said.{/reg