Levelling the playing field with Competion Authoruty

Is the Competition Authority really independent? Can it really bite? These are some of the many questions that are consistently thrown in our direction as we engage with the public. The rhetorical questions are posed consistently across the spectrum in our interactions with politicians, business, students, technocrats and others. In the light of the colossal mandate that has been entrusted on the Competition Authority, the anxiety is understood.

Huge sums of public funds have been channelled to our agency and members of the public are well within their right to expect results. If truth be told, these questions are often raised in anticipation and hope. Hope that was birthed by the legislators when the Competition Act was passed by Parliament. Last week, the same questions were raised at the Competition Authority and Competition Commission Second National Stakeholders Conference at the Gaborone International Convention Centre.