Action for India's
Renewal
Economic
Times, June 25, 2012
By Pradeep S Mehta
The world is in
turmoil and so is India, but for different reasons. The
common denominator is that bad governance everywhere is
the main reason for the apocalypse. In India, we have an
elected government, but rudderless, and an Opposition that
is suffering from sclerosis. There is severe polity
paralysis and policy stasis, sprinkled with a dose of
profligacy. While many politicians are busy in making
money in partnership with civil servants and businessmen,
most of our people are suffering from the adversity. Not
all politicians or civil servants or businessmen are
crooked, so it would be unfair to use a paintbrush. It is
time for every citizen to be counted in the peaceful
campaign to tackle corruption and kickstart stalled
policy.
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India needs to press ahead
on Road Safety
Live mint,
June 23, 2012
By Pradeep S Mehta
The road safety
scenario in India is terrible and no serious attention is
being paid. The Sunder committee recommends a National
Road Safety Board to oversee road safety issues and to
evolve strategies for policy implementation. India’s
dismal record in road safety is, among others, due to
involvement of multiple government departments and
ministries at the central and state levels. It is in the
interest of the nation and its citizens that the National
Road Safety and Traffic Management Board Bill, 2010, for
creation of a centralised agency is passed at the
earliest. Prior to that, the Road Ministry should
undertake an intensive and extensive consultative process
to ensure that shortcomings are addressed and that the
Bill has enough teeth.
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Inland water transport sector susceptible to
anti-competitive practices
The Financial
Express, Bangladesh, June 21, 2012
By Pradeep S Mehta
India's inland
water transport system is vulnerable to anticompetitive
practices. The sector is however yet to be scanned through
competition lens, despite its importance in economic
activity. Given the incidents of anticompetitive conduct
that have been reported in other countries over the years,
it is difficult to expect India to be an exception.
Cartelisation in the sector would have bad consequences on
the economy as well as on the public using the transport
services, which would have an impact on poverty. Although
the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has over the
years attempted to understand the nature of competition in
several potentially vulnerable markets, the nature of
competition prevailing in the sector is yet to be
explored. This calls for a more detailed focus from CCI.
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Untangling Regulatory Overlaps
Financial
Express, June 19, 2012
By Pradeep S Mehta
Nowhere in the
world are banking mergers outside the remit of competition
laws. The only exception is Turkey, where the central bank
oversees banking mergers, but it is empowered to do so
under their competition law and not banking laws. But
exemptions do not prove the rule. Because competition
enforcement and sector regulation are complementary
instruments, and aim at ensuring that markets functions
well. But ambiguities and overlapping jurisdiction often
create confusion, as is happening in India currently.
There are two proposals before the government to boost the
competition culture in the country. First, to amend the
Competition Act to ensure coherence and efficiency.
Second, to address a huge number of policy-induced
competition distortions through a National Competition
Policy.
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Parallel Imports: Trademarked vs. Copyrighted
The
Financial Express, June 12, 2012
By Pradeep S Mehta
If we look at
India, Hindustan Lever Ltd was able to get a stay order
from the Bombay High Court a few years ago on import of
Lux soaps by Indian traders from Indonesia. It was cheaper
there because of the huge depreciation of their Rupiah. In
jargon, this type of trade is termed parallel imports,
which is basically a competition policy instrument and
does not violate intellectual property laws. Alas, there
has been much confusion about parallel imports, which has
now been settled by the government. But the catch is that
while trademarked or patented goods can pass through the
filter, copyrighted goods (books, DVDs etc.) may not, due
to bad politics and policy incoherence.
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