By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, March 02 (232news.com) – With the collaboration of the Ministry for Trade and Industry of the Republic of Sierra Leone, the ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) organized on 28 February 2022 at the Atlantic Lumley Hotel in Freetown, Sierra Leone, an advocacy and sensitization workshop with the aim of creating awareness on the ECOWAS Regional Competition Framework and on its existence and operation.
This workshop gathered experts of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance, the Investment and Export Promotion Agency, the Cooperative Department, the Traders Council, the Civil Society Associations, the Association of Journalists, the Consumer Protection Associations, the Chamber of Commerce, sector regulators, etc. The objectives of the workshop were to sensitize Sierra Leone competition stakeholders on the existence of the Regional Competition Framework and ERCA, but also to ensure their awareness and ownership of the competition framework as well as the institutional relationship between regional and national bodies in the area of competition. It also enlightened the participants on the modalities for ERCA’s future interventions.
The opening ceremony was made of two (2) statements: the first one was made by Dr. Simeon Koffi, Ag. Executive Director of ERCA, followed by the one of Mr. Abul Kamara representing the Honourable Minister for Trade and Industry.
In welcoming the participants in the workshop, Dr. Simeon KOFFI, on behalf of the President and the Commissioner for Trade, Customs and Free Movement of Persons of the ECOWAS Commission expressed his profound gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission and the ERCA Staff. He thanked the President, the Government and the People of Sierra Leone for their warm reception and particularly the Ministry of Trade and Industry for organizing the meeting and for the progress made in the area of competition and consumer protection. After recalling that this advocacy workshop is part of the process of ownership of the regional competition framework by Member States, he emphasized the need for ERCA and Member States to work together and ensure that there is a constant dialogue on the competition policy. He finally introduced the content of the session before wishing to the participants a fruitful workshop.
Following the welcome statement of the Ag. Executive Director of ERCA, Mr. Abdul Kamara, Director of Export Promotion and Regional Integration at the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Republic of Sierra Leone, representing the Honourable Minister, after conveying the apologies of the Honourable Minister and the Chief Director for not being able to open the session, thanked ERCA for holding this advocacy workshop in Sierra Leone. He stated that this workshop is a platform of opening up a dialogue space that is linked to the AFCFTA and also a room for private and public sectors for collaboration towards the Africa Agenda. After recalling that Trade is key for national development for fair competition, transparency, accountability and fairness, he informed the participants that Sierra Leone has a national competition policy and has adopted a Consumer Protection Act that will lead to the setting up of a Consumer Protection Commission, before declaring the workshop open.
Three (3) presentations followed the opening ceremony:
The first one made by Dr. Simeon Koffi, Ag. Executive Director of ERCA on the ECOWAS Competition Framework recalled the objectives of the workshop and the need for ownership, collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders on the regional competition framework. He also demonstrated the direct link between competition, business and trade development. After presenting the two (2) Supplementary Acts respectively on the Community Competition Rules and the establishment of ERCA, its attributions, functions and areas of intervention, he gave an overview on projects and studies that were run in 2021 and the ones for 2022-2023. After this presentation, the floor was open for questions and comments that were related to competition and trade policy, key achievements and success, local content, competition and competitiveness, etc.
The second presentation which was made by Mr. Abdul Kamara, Director of Export Promotion and Regional Integration, was related to the AFCFTA and competition issues as well as the consumer protection Act in Sierra Leone. In his presentation, he enumerated the positive implications of AFCFTA, notably the elimination of import duties, the reduction of non-tariff barriers, the opportunity for cross border trade, the promotion of efficiency, etc, before urging Member States to take measures to prevent anticompetitive practices in setting rules. He added that competition is important and that is why negotiations are planned on competition at the level of AFCFTA for phase II. Mr. Kamara further informed the participants of the adoption of the Consumer Protection Act in August 2020 that will lead to the setting up of the Consumer Protection Commission. He further presented the mandate of the Commission before urging the stakeholders, including ERCA and the AFCFTA Secretariat to strengthen the level of their collaboration.
Following the presentation, participants asked questions on the informal sector traders, the cross-border trade, the cartels and the competition and trade policy.
The last presentation was made by Dr. Yaouza OURO-SAMA, the Principal Program Officer in charge of Legal, Investigation, Compliance and Enforcement (LICE) at ERCA on the recently adopted legal instruments for the operationalization of ERCA. During his presentation, he recalled the content of the 2 Supplementary Acts of 2008 on the Regional Competition Framework, before enumerating the 5 legal texts that were adopted in December 2021 by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and the Council of Ministers. He mentioned the amendment of the Supplementary Act establishing ERCA as well as the 4 Regulations respectively on the composition and functions of the ERCA Council, the ERCA’s Rules of procedure in competition matters, the rules of procedures in mergers and acquisitions and the leniency and immunity program in the competition area. He finally shared the content of these Regulations that enlightened on the procedure at ERCA.
Following the presentation, participants asked questions on the harmonization of national strategy, the timeframe to submit a complaint to ERCA, etc.
Following the three (3) presentations, an interaction session took place and enabled the participants to ask questions or make contributions, after which participants were divided in three (3) thematic groups that came up with few recommendations on means for domestication and ownership of the regional competition Framework in Sierra Leone as well as avenues for collaboration and cooperation between ERCA and Sierra Leone national Stakeholders.
