The FINANCIAL — A one-day workshop, hosted by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) on 20 August, brought together the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) and the ASEAN Secretariat to discuss key issues and challenges to enhance effective business compliance with competition policy and law in the region, according to International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
This event was timed to take place before the ASEAN Economic Community comes into effect. Increasing regional cooperation on competition policy and law makes it all the more urgent to ensure a level playing field along with greater legal certainty for businesses that will operate within that common market.
Renowned international competition expert Stanley Wong led discussions on how to develop a framework for effective competition compliance programmes. Mr Wong and other participants emphasized the merits of promoting continuous and constructive two-way dialogue between business and competition agencies.
Anny Tubbs, General Counsel, Competition, Unilever, and Co Vice-Chair of the ICC Task Force on Antitrust Compliance and Advocacy, attended the workshop entitled “Promoting Competition Law Compliance in ASEAN”. Ms Tubbs was invited to present ICC’s Antitrust Compliance Toolkit and focus on critical success factors for companies to develop effective compliance programmes. During discussions Ms Tubbs announced the impending publication of ICC guidance specifically designed to further assist SMEs in this process.
Participants also exchanged views on how agencies could support companies’ efforts to embed a compliance culture across their industry in an ASEAN context, according to ICC.
“The leaders of the ICC Task Force on Compliance and Advocacy expressed delight that the event had been well-received and had provided an excellent opportunity to deepen the dialogue between the international business community and relevant agencies on the importance and complexity of antitrust compliance programmes,“ said Anne Riley, Group Antitrust Counsel, Shell International Limited, and Chair of the ICC Task Force on Antitrust Compliance & Advocacy.
The ICC Commission on Competition gathers over 300 experts on competition law, including legal advisors from industrial and commercial enterprises and lawyers in private practice, from 40 countries. The commission launched the Task Force on Antitrust Compliance and Advocacy in 2011, an initiative that has developed practical toolkits on antitrust compliance and contributes to deepening the discussion and thought leadership with all stakeholders, according to ICC.
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