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JLCC
- June 4, 2023
Dr. Mahmoud Mumtaz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Authority for the Protection of Competition and the Prevention of Monopolistic Practices and President of the Arab Competition Network, reviewed the steps taken by the Egyptian state towards supporting and strengthening competition policies and competitive neutrality, in addition to what has been accomplished by the Arab Competition Network, which Egypt has chaired for two years since its inception in 2008. the past.
This came during his participation in the Arab Competition Forum in its fourth edition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which comes in partnership between the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, UNCTAD and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in the presence of a group of experts and representatives of competition agencies from various countries of the world.
The first session was held under the title “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Competition Authorities in Developing and Least Developed Countries.” In addition to Dr. Mumtaz, Frederic Jenny, Chair of the Competition Committee at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Natalie Khaled, Coordinator of the Competition and Consumer Protection Project in charge of Economic Affairs at ESCWA, and Willard participated in the session. Moyemba – Chairman and CEO of the COMESA Competition Commission, and Babatunde Irokera – Executive Vice President of the Federal Commission for Competition and Consumer Protection in Nigeria. The session was moderated by Abdulaziz Alzoum – CEO of the General Authority for Competition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Mumtaz talked about what has been implemented so far from the agency’s work strategy (2021-2025), both with regard to effective enforcement of the provisions of the law, limiting legislation, policies and decisions that restrict freedom of competition, spreading a culture of competition among different groups, and raising institutional efficiency. He also reviewed the national strategy to support Competition policies and competitive neutrality and the steps taken by the Egyptian state in this regard as one of the basic axes and principles of the state ownership policy document. equal in accordance with the same regulatory framework without the slightest discrimination between them, stressing that the principles of competitive neutrality are absolutely necessary to encourage investment and innovation, and raise levels of productivity and employment to ensure a fair competitive climate.
Dr. Mumtaz explained that the policy of competitive neutrality is based on four main principles. The first is tax neutrality, and the second axis includes regulatory and legislative neutrality, while the third axis is neutrality in debts, and the fourth axis is based on neutrality in public procurement by adopting competitive offering methods in public contracts to ensure transparency regarding how to participate in contractual processes and provide the opportunity to participate in front of companies. of all kinds.
Dr. Mahmoud Mumtaz also talked about the recent legal amendments made to the Competition Protection Law No. 3 of 2005, which granted the agency the authority to pre-supervise mergers and acquisitions, and their importance in supporting competition policies and their positive impact on the investment climate in Egypt, and improving Egypt’s position with economic indicators issued by various international institutions.
In his capacity as President of the Arab Competition Network; Dr. Mahmoud Mumtaz spoke about the importance of launching the network and how it succeeded in becoming a real communication platform for cooperation between Arab countries with regard to competition policies, and its contribution to concerted efforts and the exchange of visions, ideas and experiences in the field of applying competition policies to achieve mutual benefit, which benefits the economies of the countries of the region, noting A model for simulating Arab competition authorities, whose first session was held to enhance Arab students’ awareness of competition protection laws and policies and to create new generations trained and qualified to work in this field. This model is scheduled to be held annually.
At the end of his speech, he thanked the organizers of the Arab Competition Forum in general, and the General Authority for Competition in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in particular for hosting this event and its constant desire to enhance cooperation between competition agencies at the Arab level.
On the sidelines of the forum activities; Dr. Mahmoud Mumtaz held a number of meetings and bilateral meetings with the heads and representatives of the Arab competition agencies, in the framework of strengthening cooperation at the regional and international levels.