ISLAMABAD, February 4: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired a high-level meeting to review the performance of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP). The meeting focused on measures to enhance the CCP’s operational efficiency and institutional effectiveness in fulfilling its regulatory mandate.
The meeting was attended by Chairman CCP, Dr. Kabir Sidhu, along with Members Mr. Saeed Ahmad Nawaz, Ms. Bushra Naz Malik, Mr. Salman Amin, and Mr. Abdul Rashid Sheikh. The Special Secretary Finance and other senior officials from the Finance Division were also present. This meeting was a follow-up to the Minister’s visit to the CCP in the first week of December 2024.
The Finance Minister comprehensively reviewed the CCP’s departmental progress and discussed strategic initiatives to strengthen its enforcement framework. The Minister was briefed by each Member on the performance of their departments. Finance Minister reaffirmed Government’s commitment to enabling CCP in augmenting its institutional ability and capabilities.
Chairman CCP, Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, briefed the Minister on the Commission’s proactive enforcement efforts in identifying and addressing anti-competitive practices, including cartelization and trade abuse. Dr. Sidhu also provided an update on ongoing litigation, recoveries and adjudication matters. Since his appointment almost 79 cases have been successfully concluded while others remain under active proceedings.
The discussion also focused on the appointment of the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT), emphasizing its crucial role in accelerating the resolution of competition-related cases and enhancing the enforcement of Competition Law. The Finance Minister had previously facilitated the appointment of the Chairman and two Members of CAT. He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the CCP in this regard.
The meeting served as a continuation of previous discussions aimed at reinforcing CCP’s mandate and expediting enforcement actions to ensure a competitive and transparent market environment.
