Competition of Authority of Kenya (CAK) boss Wang'ombe Kariuki. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Kenya’s competition regulator has received a World Bank award
for pushing for disclosure of phone-based transactions, lowering of
third-party mobile banking charges and removing restrictions between
Safaricom and Airtel agents.
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markers Authority (CMA) were co-winners at this year’s Competition Advocacy Contest for their role in “promoting structural reforms in key sectors.”
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) and the United Kingdom’s Competition and Markers Authority (CMA) were co-winners at this year’s Competition Advocacy Contest for their role in “promoting structural reforms in key sectors.”
The CAK received recognition for forcing
Safaricom to allow its rivals such as Airtel to operate from the same
shop with M-Pesa agents. The watchdog also compelled telcos to disclose
and lower third-party charges popularly referred to as USSD.
The
CAK was also recognised for ensuring that financial service providers,
including commercial banks, disclose the cost of their mobile services
prior to a transaction taking place.
“This effort changed sector regulations and strategic behaviour
of incumbents in both financial and telecommunication sectors,
benefiting more than 30 million consumers and paving the way for further
economic inclusion,” the awards’ citation states.
The
Communications Authority of Kenya and the Central Bank of Kenya were
given a special mention for their roles in securing the milestones. The
contest is an annual event that the World Bank organises in conjunction
with the International Competition Network (ICN), a global association
of competition law authorities.
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