Competition collaboration – CCP and academia

The recent initiative by CCP for introducing competition law as an elective subject in universities serves two of the many shortcomings that Pakistan’s institutional setups have: first, lack of awareness and implementation of competitive practices in industries; and second, deficient academia-industry linkages.
Anti-competitive practices are often taken for granted in developing countries. However, disseminating knowledge about the importance of competitive practices earlier on will go a long way in instilling these values in future industry players.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has played an active role in promulgating competitive practices in the country, serving as a whistle blower for many industries indulging in cartelization as well as for misleading advertisements by local and multinational companies.
It was also nominated by the Global Competition Review (GCR) in the ‘Agency of the Year’ category for Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.
This recent call for promoting competitive practices at the academic level goes further to show the dedication of this organisation towards its goal and agenda.
Philippe Brusick, former head Competition and Consumer Policies at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) says in a presentation that inadequate infrastructure, low capital formation, and asymmetry of information between consumers and industry players predisposes developing countries to suffer from anti-competitive practices.
And greater activity and initiatives by competition law enforcement authorities is a recipe for countering that – something that the CCP has indeed set the precedent for.
Though the subject has been suggested as part of the curriculum to the Karachi School of Business and Leadership, other prominent universities have also been approached, such as the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and the Punjab University.
Although the subject has been proposed as an elective right now, it is worth noting that universities in developed countries teach competition law as a college major, particularly for law graduates. Though minuscule in comparison, the introduction of competition law at local universities will serve as a stepping stone for further research, studies and awareness about it.
Resolution of pending cases at the courts continues to be a much-needed step to further cement the success of the CCP in enforcing competitive practices in the country.
Yet, the efforts of the institution in garnering greater awareness of competition and competition law in the country deserve commendation.