On 5 May, the Cabinet Secretariat’s Open Government website sponsored a nationally televised chat between policy makers and citizens ‘Fair Competition, Who Benefits?’ Panelists for the program included R. Bud, Member of Parliament; D. Gankhuyag, Member of Parliament; S. Nanzad, CEO of the National Federation of Mongolian Consumers’ Association; Ch. Khashchuluun, Chairman, National Development & Innovation Committee; and S. Bolormaa, Director, Mongolian Star Melchers who represented the private sector. Throughout the hour-long program, citizens called, texted, and emailed a total of 204 questions. The questions centered on the following topics:
The topic of competition was particularly relevant because of the submission of a new draft law on competition to Parliament in April. The Unfair Competition Law of Mongolia was enacted in 1993, and the Authority for Fair Competition and Consumer Protection was established in 2005. The new law reflects the changes in the economic and business environment, and should better define how the law and policy will control natural monopolies (regulated sectors), entities with market power, the realm of investigations (inspections), and the promotion of fair competition and consumer protection in general.
This live-broadcasted program was the twelfth Stakeholders Talk sponsored by the OG website with support from the project, providing citizens from around the country with an opportunity to ask questions of senior level officials from the government, private sector, and civil society about pressing issues in Mongolia. Previous topics have included tax reform, housing finance, the national action plan, transportation, and mining revenues. The program video is available in Mongolian at the project website, www.eprc-chemonics.biz.
- Recent excessive increases in market prices of meat, fruits, and other goods
- Unfair competition in bank loans, food, gasoline, and medication
- Ineffectiveness of the Authority for Fair Competition and Consumer Protection (AFCCP) in keeping prices at a reasonable level
- Concern about food safety
- Failure of government to support small businesses
- Importance of drafting an effective law on competition.
The topic of competition was particularly relevant because of the submission of a new draft law on competition to Parliament in April. The Unfair Competition Law of Mongolia was enacted in 1993, and the Authority for Fair Competition and Consumer Protection was established in 2005. The new law reflects the changes in the economic and business environment, and should better define how the law and policy will control natural monopolies (regulated sectors), entities with market power, the realm of investigations (inspections), and the promotion of fair competition and consumer protection in general. This live-broadcasted program was the twelfth Stakeholders Talk sponsored by the OG website with support from the project, providing citizens from around the country with an opportunity to ask questions of senior level officials from the government, private sector, and civil society about pressing issues in Mongolia. Previous topics have included tax reform, housing finance, the national action plan, transportation, and mining revenues. The program video is available in Mongolian at the project website, www.eprc-chemonics.biz.