The commission said it has undertaken studies on the state of competition in individual sectors of the economy in The Gambia and would henceforth impose penalties on those businesses or owners that apply anti-competitive business practices such as failing to supply information, supplying false information, and obstructing investigations.
“There is a minimum fine of D100,000 and or 5 years imprisonment for individuals and minimum of D500,000 for companies,” the commission stated.
In partnership with Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the GCCPC on Wednesday also conveyed a training session on the Competition Act 2007 and the Consumer Protection Act 2014 for major importers and other stakeholders in the essential commodities market at the GCCI Hall in Bijilo.
The training was done to tackle the rising concerns of “undesirable practices” in the market. It also sought to provide comprehensive insights into the provision of both Acts and equip participants with the knowledge and tools to eradicate undesirable trade and market practices.
Speaking to The Point, Baboucarr Ceesay, Director of Competition at the GCCPC, said the training came at the backdrop of market investigations from which they determine issues affecting consumers and prices of commodities.
He indicated that press releases have been issued to that effect but still the undesirable “acts are going on”, saying that is why the Commission deemed it necessary to partner with GCCI to enlighten, edify and incline business communities on the laws and Act of the Commission and the Consumer Protection Act in order to enhance voluntary compliance in trade.
“The Commission would continue training business communities even though they have limited resources,” he said, adding that they would extend their efforts to the regions and train more business people and communities.
“We are of the opinion that if business communities are trained and fully sensitised on the Consumer laws they will be able to voluntarily comply with the laws,” he said, adding: “Some of the business communities are going through some of the violations and don’t know where to lodge complaints, but with the training we suspect that business communities will rush to the Commission to complain.”
Mr Ceesay highlighted some of the mechanisms they are putting in place to address skyrocketing of prices, as “the Commission is out to make sure that price increment is not influenced by anti-competitive conducts”, which the commission is also mandated to prevent.
Moreover, Ceesay added, the commission has introduced a system, which is a market surveillance program that operates every 2 weeks to check prices of commodities and their availability, not specifically to control prices but to see whether those price increments are not as a result of anti-competitive conducts.
That has helped them a lot, he said, adding that they have brought another program called “At Your Door Step” which focuses on corner shops at various communities in The Gambia to ensure that skyrocketing of prices is not as a result of anti-competitive conducts.
“So many factors can be responsible for price increment but we are saying one thing should not be responsible - that is, anti-competitive conduct,” Ceesay ruled out.
