![]() ![]() (a) Enhance economic efficiency and promote free and fair competition in trade, industry and all commercial economic activities, as well as establish a National Competition Policy to be implemented by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and all of its political agencies as a whole Only in June 2015 when Congress enacted the Philippine Competition Act (RA 10667) and created the Philippine Competition Commission did the government start getting serious in going after monopolies, duopolies, and oligopolies and in preventing and or punishing unfair competition or combinations in restraint of trade. Some 32 million good jobs are needed immediately, including three million to employ the jobless and the seven million who are underemployed, hire 1.5 million new entrants to the labor force, and the 21 million Filipinos who are informally employed (meaning no regular jobs). With greater competition, according to a World Bank study, the Philippine economy could grow faster and include the poor. Thankfully, government doesn’t have a monopoly of stupidity.Ĭan PCC go after the government? That would be like biting the hand that feeds you. It is the country’s biggest landowner, biggest port operator, biggest banker, and biggest buyer of goods. The biggest monopoly in the Philippines? The government itself. ![]() The result is that the Philippines has among the most restrictive markets in ASEAN, resulting in a lack of a level playing field, especially in businesses like telco (the Philippines has among the world’s slowest internet rates and the highest telco charges), retailing (foreigners must spend a minimum of P100 million per shop), shipping (it is cheaper to ship goods from Bangkok than from GenSan), airline, energy (the Philippines has among the highest priced electricity in the world), transportation, construction, and even schools (foreigners are totally banned, so Filipinos are denied access to Ivy League education). No combination in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed.”ĭespite these constitutional provisions, the Philippines never had an anti-trust or anti-unfair competition law. The State shall regulate or prohibit private monopolies when the public interest so requires. This section is a repeat of Section 2, Article XIV (National Economy and Patrimony of the Nation) of the 1973 Constitution which provided: No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed. “The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. Section 19, Article XII (National Economy and Patrimony) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides: "The Philippines has among the most restrictive markets in ASEAN."
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |