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CA Briefs UB Students on how Competition Benefits the Consumer

Innovative product delivery, quality products, a wider choice and lower prices have been identified as some of the benefits of competition to the consumer. In a lecture to University of Botswana students on November 7th, the Director of Communications and Advocacy, Mr. Gideon Nkala, said competition law controls selfish business gains and consumer exploitation, and strives to facilitate broad based wealth creation through open and fair markets.

“The more players exist in any market, the more the behaviour of market players will answer to the needs of customers and consumers”, Nkala observed. He told the UB students that the Competition Act deals among others with abuse of dominant market position, horizontal agreements, such as cartels, vertical agreements such as resale price maintenance, as well as control of mergers and acquisitions. He further briefed the students on the structure and the mandates of the Competition Authority and the Competition Commission.

Nkala further informed the students that the Competition Authority has dealt with a complaint which was lodged by the UB Student Representative Council concerning the UB Bookstore. He said the matter has been concluded and the outcome will be communicated to the relevant authorities.

The students were further informed that as the Competition Authority cannot be everywhere, over and above its market enquiries, it encourages members of the public to report any anti-competitive behaviour which, if established, will be investigated accordingly by the Authority and redress proffered.

The lecture was organised in conjunction with Dr. Selinah Peters of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.