The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has signed up for interagency collaboration with its counterpart in the Philippines in a bid to deliver better economic outcomes for businesses and consumers in the region.
A memorandum of understanding between the ACCC and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) was signed by the head of both regulators, Gina Cass-Gottlieb and Michael Aguinaldo, on Wednesday.
The deal will see the two regulators share best practices through the exchange of non-confidential information and experiences on matters of mutual interest; conduct joint workshops or training courses for staff; collaborate on projects of mutual interest, including via international forums; and give notice of investigations and activities that significantly affect the agencies’ interests.
In a statement, the ACCC chair said the agreement would enhance the effective administration of competition law and policy for both jurisdictions and across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
“We welcome this new commitment and the opportunity it provides the ACCC to work even more closely with its counterpart in the Philippines,” Cass-Gottlieb said.
“This latest achievement is proof of the close and productive connection shared between our two competition regulators and marks the ACCC and the PCC’s next step in our joint effort to champion competition and consumer welfare.”
Australia and the Philippines share a strategic partnership. Last September, an enduring framework for closer cooperation between both nations was established when the bilateral relationship was elevated to this status.
In addition to being a member of the ASEAN, the Philippines is a member of the World Trade Organisation and participates in a growing network of economic and free trade agreements with Australia.
Cass-Gottlieb noted that the ACCC had worked closely with the PCC since its inception in 2016 to help both nations’ “increasingly connected markets” benefit from a strong competition law regime and address anti-competitive practices.
“Robust and effective competition laws foster economic development in both our domestic and global markets,” the chair said.
“Despite our countries’ unique economic contexts, we are able to achieve better regulatory and enforcement outcomes when we work collaboratively.”
Following an agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), the ACCC Competition Law Implementation Program known as ‘CLIP’ has seen the Australian regulator forge strong ties with the PCC and other competition authorities in the ASEAN region.
“The ACCC looks forward to continuing to work with its counterpart in the Philippines to address shared challenges in our countries and the broader ASEAN region,” Cass-Gottlieb said.
International leaders from the 10-member ASEAN bloc and the leader of Timor-Leste will meet in Melbourne for a special summit next week (4-6 March).
The Mandarin will be reporting from the event, and covering key public policy and foreign affairs issues from the special summit.
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