Show of support called for PHL's anti-trust bill

A lawmaker on Friday urged the foreign chambers and the business community to support the passage of a bill seeking to prohibit monopolies and penalize anti-competitive agreements and mergers. Batangas Rep. Tom Apacible, vice chair of the House committee on trade and industry, told a recent forum on fair competition that without a competition law as an anchor, it would be difficult to attract foreign investors. He urged them to campaign harder for the passage of House Bill 4835, lobby their congressmen or write President Benigno Aquino III to certify the proposed legislation, which is currently in its second reading at the House of Representatives, as urgent. “That’s the only chance we have. If you want a good government, you should be part of government,” said Apacible. Guy Ledoux, head of the European Delegation to the Philippines, said they are aware of the “importance that the present administration is giving to level the playing field.” “The Philippines is an excellent candidate to take the step towards a solid competition law," he said. Stanley Wong, former Commissioner of the Competition Authority in Ireland, said that there is no single model for competition law, as it should take into regard the business culture of a country. "What is important is that a sense of institutional structure is developed. The benefits of a market economy should be shared,” said Wong. The Office for Competition under the Department of Justice (DOJ) currently handles cases involving monopolization, cartels and combinations in restraint of trade. There are 30 competition-related laws in the country, according to Justice Assistant Secretary Geronimo Sy. The DOJ is dealing with 15 active cases at the moment while also trying to “simplify rules and processes to reduce the regulatory burden.” Trade undersecretary for consumer welfare and business regulation Zenaida Maglaya lamented the lack of advocacy for a competition law in the country. “Consumers depend so much on government to protect them. They need to be more aware of their right to choose, and be informed of the connection between competition policy and its benefits to everyday life,” she said. Ninety representatives from government agencies, embassies, international chambers of commerce, and the academe gathered attended the forum on Fair Competition: Key to Economic Growth, organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the European Union Delegation to the Philippines. — KBK, GMA News