FCT rules 429 cases to promote fair competition

 Daily News reporter

MBEYA: FAIR Competition Tribunal (FCT) has ruled 429 cases since when it was established in 2007, equivalent to 97.1 per cent of 442 cases.

The FCT Head of the Department of Economics, Mr Kulwa Msogoti said in Mbeya Region yesterday that the remaining 13 are at various stages of hearing.

“This is a government institution obliged to promote and protect productive competition in the market and prevent misbehaviour in the market,” he said at a stakeholders’ seminar.

Mr Msogoti said also that FCT’s obligation is to promote creativity, facilitate the efficient use of resources and protect the consumer “Through FCT, business people can increase efficiency in production, distribution of services and products,” he said.

He said this obligation is implemented by handling the disputes of traders, investors, service providers and consumers including the community related to commercial competition and market regulation by receiving, hearing and deciding appeal cases received by the council.

Mr Msogoti said the Council is receiving and hearing appeals arising from decisions made by regulatory authorities such as FCC, Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) and Tanzania Civil Airport Authority (TCAA).

Others are the Land Transportation Regulatory Authority (LATRA), the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) and the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA).

Mr Msogoti noted that the reflections of the hearing increased responsibility for all stakeholders, encouraged companies to increase attention in compliance with the country’s law, increased transparency and price competition in various businesses in the country, and increased responsibility in the business sector and the country as a whole.

The Assistant Administrative Regional Secretary, Department of Investment, Industry and Trade, Mbeya Region, Ms Anna Mwambene urged business people to make efficient use of the FCT in addressing commercial challenges to increase production efficiency and distribution of goods and services.

Ms Mwambene said FCT handles disputes fairly thus creating a good environment for doing business in the country.

On her part, the FCT Chief Legal Officer, Ms Hafsa Said said that the Council receives appeals from any individual who feels to be unfairly treated.

“Individuals, business companies or institutions are allowed to submit an appeal request and must prove that the debate requested for an appeal must be conducted by one of the previously mentioned regulatory authorities or the Competition Commission,” she said.