World Competition Day today necessitates action against cartelisation

World Competition Day is being observed in the country as elsewhere in the world today (December 5) to mark the adoption of the ‘Set to Create a Global Framework for Regulating Competition Abuses’ by the United Nations General Assembly three decades ago. It necessitates action against cartelisation that harms competitive business environment.

The cartelisation is Pakistan’s various sectors needs urgent action as its competition authorities have already warned Pakistan national flag carrier airline against their monopolistic practices. Consumer right groups and activists in the country are doing advocacy for fair competition practices benefiting the consumers.

The theme chosen for this year's celebrations is ‘Cartels in the Air Cargo Sector’ against which action has been taken in all major industrialised countries, and fines of several billions of dollars have been levied on all major airlines of the world. Though no such action has been taken against any air cargo in developing countries except for South Africa, businesses and consumers from these countries suffered a lot.

A proposal to observe this day was made by the International Network of Civil Society Organisations on Competition (INCSOC) at the recently concluded 6th UN Review Conference on the Set on Competition Policy. On this day in 1980, the United Nations General Assembly had adopted the set to create a global framework for regulating competition abuses. A clarion call was made by INCSOC to observe 5th December 2010 as the first World Competition Day, a day that marks the 30th anniversary of the set.