Venue: EMPLOYERS HUB BUILDING
Chair of Fiji Commerce Commission;
Representative of Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat;
Head of Cooperation for the Delegation of the European Union of Fiji, Mr. Christoph Wagner;
Officials from Samoa;
CEO and staff of Fiji Commerce Commission;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Bula Vinaka and a very good morning to you all.
On behalf of the Fijian Government, I congratulate the Samoan delegation and the Fijian Commerce Commission on the successful completion of the scoping mission. I hope you have been able to gather as much information as possible to prepare you for the implementation of the Consumer Protection and Competition Act.
I therefore congratulate the Samoan Government for taking the step to provide for a mechanism to protect consumers and also regulate competition in the marketplace. The role of a Commerce Commission, especially in small island developing states is seen as a contributor to economic growth. It drives efficiency in business operations, ensures that players are not abusing their market power or dominance in the market, instill confidence in investors.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would also like to stress that the role of Commerce Commission in Fiji and likewise in Samoa also includes consumer protection. This is equally important for instilling, not only consumer confidence and trust, but also confidence of investors that there are adequate mechanisms in place.
With this view in mind, the scoping mission by Samoa was to learn from the Fijian experiences and lessons on how the Fijian Commerce Commission was formed and the how it operates.
At this juncture, I would also like to acknowledge the support of European Union funded Pacific Integration Technical Assistance Project, through which this scoping mission from Samoa has been possible. We look forward to the continuation of capacity building and regional integration support from the EU.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As mentioned by the Fijian Commerce Commission Chair and the Permanent Secretary during the opening that regional cooperation in the area of Competition Policy will allow for consistency of laws across the region.
It is important to emphasize that Pacific region is becoming more integrated with increased intra-regional trade and investment. Therefore, it is important that there is regional collaboration and cooperation in terms of competition policy.
And therefore, programmes, such as scoping mission, peer review of laws and policies or twinning will lead to consistency in competition policies and best practices across the region. It will reduce barriers and cost of doing business and will lead to deeper regional integration.
In Fiji’s Context, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism Resources is currently working towards to further strengthen Fiji’s Competition Policy document namely, the Commerce Commission Act 2010 (CCA2010) through Technical Assistance provided by Asian Development Bank and in the process of reviewing the Consumer Credit Act 1999 in partnership with Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme. These Consumer Protection laws needs to be strengthened to make it more current and effective for the benefit of Fijian Consumers.
To conclude, competition policy encompasses more fundamental aspects of economic policy that is aimed at applying rules to make sure businesses compete fairly and on a level platform. It encourages efficiency, creates a wider choice for consumers and helps reduce prices and improve quality. Competition policy, can also be an effective strategy for economic reforms.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we once again acknowledge the scoping mission by Samoa, as this is indeed important step in increased regional cooperation in the area of competition policy.
With those words, I wish the Samoan delegation all the very best.
Vinaka Vakalevu. Thank You.