Promotion of competition in ASEAN

Project description

Project title: Promotion of Competitiveness within the Framework of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (COMPETE)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam​​​​​​​
Lead executing agency: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Overall term: 2018 to 2022

Context

Removing barriers to trade in services and setting up more effective competition regimes are two important key elements of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to create a common and viable market.

Reducing trade barriers contributes to better competition, which has positive impacts on service provision, particularly for consumers in Cambodia, the Lao PDR and Viet Nam. However, opening service markets also leads to a higher risk of market concentration and abuse of market power. Because of this, changes in the national competition regimes are necessary.

Objective

Cambodia, the Lao PDR and Viet Nam implement the ASEAN agreements in the areas of trade in services and competition policy in an investment conducive and competition-friendly manner.

Approach

At the ASEAN level, the project supports the implementation of ASEAN key strategies in the fields of competition policy and trade in services.

The strategies shape the institutional framework for investment and competition-promoting regulatory practices in the ASEAN member states and lead to more economic integration. Here the project works together with the relevant ASEAN sector bodies, namely the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) and the ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Services (CCS).

At the same time, the project supports Cambodia, the Lao PDR, and Viet Nam in improving the institutions involved in implementing laws and ASEAN agreements on trade in services provision and competition.

Last update: May 2022