ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has urged the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to ensure fair play in the consumer goods market and review its performance.
He was addressing a meeting with a delegation from the CCP to review its performance and address the issues it has been facing in undertaking its functions. He emphasised that the common man should have received the benefit of the provisions of competition laws.
The Finance Minister, pointing out the negative trend of market, said whenever there was an increase in the oil price or other commodity, the general market took extra charges from the customers, which was a negative practice and must be discouraged. He said the government was now eager to ascertain whether or not the CCP had been able to achieve the major objective of consumer protection and facilitation for which it was created.
Acting CCP chairman Dr Joseph Wilson briefed Ishaq Dar about the performance of the commission since the promulgation of the Competition Ordinance 2007. The chairman, elaborating the basic objectives of CCP, said that the commission’s main objective was to provide a healthy competitive environment in all spheres of commercial and economic activity to enhance economic efficiency. He gave examples of remedial steps taken by CCP regarding ill practices in different sectors.