Competition and Consumer Authority and Namibian Competition Commission sign MOU to formalise cooperation in Competition Law Enforcement

The Competition and Consumer Authority (CCA) and the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalise cooperation in the field of competition law enforcement.

The MOU was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the CCA, Ms. Tebelelo Pule, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Competition Commission Mr. Vitalis Ndalikokule, in a signing ceremony held through a virtual platform.

Speaking at the MOU signing this morning Ms. Pule said through the historic MoU, the two agencies are further extending the excellent bilateral relations that exist between Botswana and Namibia as well as regional cooperation.

“We are further upholding the spirit of the SADC Declaration on Regional Cooperation in Competition and Consumer Policies, which espouses formalised and cross-border cooperation; and the SACU Regional Cooperation Framework on Competition Policy and Unfair Trade Practices.”

Ms. Pule said the CCA and the NaCC have a common goal of ensuring competitive and fair markets for the benefit of consumers in the two countries.

“This MoU will assist our two authorities to execute their mandates, and achieve their strategic goals. As we formalise our cooperation through signing this MoU today, we commit ourselves to sharing experiences in the practical enforcement of competition law; joint planning and initiation of investigations, and staff exchanges,” she said.

For his part, Mr. Ndalikokule said the Competition and Consumer Authority and the Namibian Competition Commission cooperated on competition matters for several years on an informal basis.

He said the purpose of the MOU as contained in Article 2 is to contribute to the effective enforcement of the competition laws in Botswana and Namibia through the establishment of a framework for cooperation between the CCA and NaCC.

“In the context of this MOU, the competition authorities will promote competition in the two countries by addressing anti-competitive activities in accordance with the laws and regulations of our respective countries in order to facilitate the development and operation of well-functioning markets in our countries,” Mr. Ndalikokule said.

He further encouraged the parties to commit to the implementation process of the MOU to ensure that the two competition authorities, the business community, and consumers derive maximum benefits out of the cooperation arrangement.