ETHIOPIA NATIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOP

10-12 October, 2007, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

IN MEDIA

National training workshop on competition policy, law underway

National training workshop on competition policy, law underway

The Ethiopian News Agency, October 11, 2007, Addis Ababa

Trade Inquiry Commissioner Harka Haroye said that the African economy in general and that of Ethiopia in particular is witnessing a general tendency towards a strong support for competition policy whereby to fosters and promotes economic efficiency providing consumer welfare.

Opening a three-day National Training Workshop on Competition Policy and Law at the Ghion Hotel yesterday, Harka says: “The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has adopted Competition Law since 2003. However, it has a long way to go to put in place the effective competition regime.”

Stressing the role of consumer associations, Harka noted that they play significant role in the protection of consumer welfare and the competition culture creation. To this effect, Harka added political will and civil society involvement are indisputably some of the preconditions for Competition Policy and Law to be realistic and effective.

Speaking on his part, Board Member of the Ethiopian Consumer Protection Association (ECOPA) Seifu Ali said that the main objective of competition as a means to ensure efficient allocation of resources in an economy resulted in, the best possible choice of quality,the lowest possible price and adequate supplies to consumer.

Jointly organized by CUTS international of India and ECOPA, the workshop is part of a project entitled Capacity Building on Competition Policy in Select Countries of Eastern and Southern Africa referred as 7Up3 Project. The Project is being implemented with the support of the Norwegian government (NORAD) and the British Government (DFID) and CUTS International.

By Haile-Melekot Agizew