Zambia Daily Mail, 10th April 03
By NKWETO MFULA
THE Consumer Unity and Trust Society-Africa Research Centre (CUTS-ARC) says the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) competition policy will be beneficial to consumers in the regional grouping.
CUTS-ARC co-ordinator, Sajeev Nair, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that once the policy was implemented, organisations and the business sectors would conform to the region’s competition regulations.
“So there is need for COMESA council of ministers to ratify the regional policy,” he said
Mr. Nair said CUTS-ARC welcomed COMESA’s initiative to consult consumer bodies in Zambia in the formulation of regional competition policy.
COMESA has called for a meeting end of this month of which about 30 stakeholders would attend the gathering to be held in Lusaka.
Mr. Nair said his organisation recently completed a study on enforcing competition policy in seven countries including Zambia.
The study underlines the importance of the regional framework for the protection of consumers in the region.
Meanwhile, CUTS-ARC would be holding a national consultation on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and practice in Zambia.
Mr Nair said the national reference grouping was part of a two-year research and advocacy project titled ‘ Investment for Development’ being carried out by his organisation.
He said CUTS-ARC aimed at developing an advocacy platform at national and regional level through disseminating the research inputs on the consultations for the benefit of the stakeholders.