12 November 2013
(View Media Release in PDF)
1. As the Chair of the AEGC Work Group on Developing Strategy and Tools for Regional Advocacy, the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) is pleased to announce the launch of the first ever AEGC web portal on competition policy and law. This initiative, which also includes the roll-out of a series of competition advocacy collaterals, marks the growing importance of competition awareness and understanding of competition law, as the 2015 deadline of ASEAN Economic Community draws nearer.
2. “Ahead of 2015 when the vision of the ASEAN Economic Community will be established, it is vital for regional businesses to get up-to-speed on competition policy and law. Such knowledge and compliance will go a long way in smoothening out any future obstacles which both regulators and businesses in ASEAN may face in a single market”, commented Mr Teo Wee Guan, Director (Strategic Planning) of CCS and Chairman of the Work Group on Regional Competition Advocacy under AEGC.
3. The AEGC web portal serves as a one-stop portal for updates on competition-related issues and developments in ASEAN. Visitors to the website will be able to obtain information on competition law in each of the ASEAN member states as well as updates on competition developments in each jurisdiction. It also provides competition authorities in ASEAN a convenient platform to facilitate knowledge sharing and encourage deeper interaction among themselves.
4. To complement the web portal, a set of competition advocacy collaterals in the form of a brochure and pamphlet have also been developed to raise awareness among the general public on competition policy and law in the region. Through simple language, the collaterals aim to educate businesses and consumers on the key principles of competition policy and law, particularly with regards to its application in the region.
5. The web portal and competition advocacy collaterals are the outcome of the first phase of the project driven by the AEGC Working Group on “Developing Strategy and Tools for Regional Advocacy” which was chaired by CCS. The project is part of ASEAN’s broader move towards regional integration under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint, and was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, an enterprise supporting the German government in achieving its objectives of international cooperation for sustainable development.
6. The web portal and collaterals were officially launched at the 12th AEGC meeting on 12 November 2013 in Cebu, Philippines. The web portal and collaterals can be accessed at https://asean-competition.org/aegc
About the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC)
The ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) was established in 2007 as an official body comprising representatives from competition authorities and agencies responsible for competition policy and law in the ten ASEAN Member States (AMSs). The ten AMSs are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. As the regional platform for discussion and cooperation on competition policy and law, it focuses on strengthening competition policy capabilities and best practices in ASEAN. Since its establishment, the AEGC has organised and facilitated numerous capacity-building and experience-sharing sessions and developed various publications to advance competition policy and law in ASEAN. CCS represents Singapore at the AEGC and is an active contributor to the various initiatives and activities at the AEGC.
About The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS)
CCS is a statutory board established under the Competition Act (Chapter 50B) on 1 January 2005 to administer and enforce the Act. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Act empowers CCS to investigate alleged anti-competitive activities, determine if such activities infringe the Act and impose suitable remedies, directions and financial penalties.
For more information, please visit www.ccs.gov.sg
For media clarification, please contact
Ms Lim Le-Anne
Senior Assistant Director
Strategic Planning Division
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: lim_le-anne@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8304
Ms Grace Suen
Assistant Director
Strategic Planning Division
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: grace_suen@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8216
AEGC web portal – a one-stop portal for updates on competition-related issues and developments in ASEAN
Competition advocacy collaterals – brochure and pamphlet developed to raise awareness among the general public on competition policy and law in ASEAN