By Fatou Sillah
The Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) held a press briefing on Thursday to discuss their ongoing initiatives to fulfill their mandate and tackle market abuse. They also showcased their accomplishments in protecting consumers.
Chairperson Ms. Yassin Senghore emphasized that the Commission’s effectiveness is currently hindered by inadequacies in the Competition Act 2007 and the Consumer Protection Act 2014. She announced that the Commission is nearing final agreements to receive support from development partners to review and amend these Acts and to develop a comprehensive competition and consumer protection policy, with the process expected to begin this quarter.
“The amendment of these Acts is essential as it ensures it remains robust, impactful, and responsive to the evolving market landscape. In an era of rapid technological advancements and dynamic market shifts, our regulatory frameworks must keep pace to effectively safeguard competition and protect consumers. The existing Acts, while foundational, were crafted in a different era, and the marketplace today presents new challenges and opportunities that it must address.
“The Commission has also secured support from the EU to develop its merger regulations and guidelines, which will aid the Commission in the reviewing of all merger applications in the Gambia,” She Said.
Ms. Senghore further stated that the Commission conducts biweekly market surveillance in the Greater Banjul area and some parts of the West Coast Region. These efforts aim to monitor the prices of essential commodities in the market and the conduct of businesses to determine if price hikes are a result of anti-competitive practices.
“The Commission conducts bi-weekly market surveillance in the Greater Banjul and some parts of the West Coast Region to monitor the prices of essential commodities in the market as well as the conduct of businesses to determine if price hikes are as a result of anti-competitive practices. The Commission has issued directives and warning letters in recent years to many businesses that were found to be abusing their monopoly positions in the market.
“The main types of issues found in essential commodities markets are abuse of dominance practices through tying and bundling and refusal to deal.
“Prices of basic commodities continue to fluctuate in response to market dynamics. The surveillance in the past months revealed that there was a 70% reduction in the wholesale price of onions and potatoes after Ramadan, however the reductions were not reflected in the corner shop prices in the West Coast Region, which is a concern to the Commission. The Commission shall closely monitor the retail outlets, especially the corner shops, to examine the reasons why reductions in wholesale prices do not always filter down to the retail shops,” She Said
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