World Bank Group and International Competition Network Recognize Advocates in Better Competition
Singapore, 28th April 2016: The World Bank Group and the International Competition Network (ICN) today announced the winners and honorable mentions of the 2015-2016 Competition Advocacy Contest at the award ceremony held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore during the ICN Annual Conference. The contest aims to raise awareness of the key role competition agencies play in promoting competition.
“This is the third year of the contest, and competition agencies continue to showcase more innovative ways of engaging policy makers and the private sector,” said Klaus Tilmes, Director of the World Bank Group Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice. “Competition constraints exist in every country and every sector, hindering inclusive growth, but now we have a growing body of evidence from competition advocates that there are solutions to prevent it.”
Competition agencies from countries around the world were asked to submit success stories showcasing effective competition advocacy, and of the 43 entries, eight were selected along four different themes.
The winners for the 2015-2016 Competition Advocacy Contest are: Mexico and Zimbabwe for competition advocacy in fast growing and innovative markets; France and Zambia for advocating competition in key domestic markets to maximize trade benefits; Lithuania and Peru for embedding competition principles in public and industrial policies through advocacy; and Hong Kong and Honduras for catalyzing competition reforms through citizen and civil society engagement. The winner’s stories will be featured in the annual joint Bank Group and ICN competition advocacy report.
The partnership of the International Competition Network is vital to providing competition authorities with a specialized yet informal venue for maintaining regular contacts and addressing practical competition concerns. “I am confident that the close cooperation between the International Competition Network and the World Bank Group will entail further opportunities for joint initiatives in the near future. The best is yet to come,” said Andreas Mundt, Chair of the International Competition Network.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Brazil, Malawi, the United States, Kenya, Kuwait, Pakistan, Poland, Sweden, Hungary and Japan. More information and complete list of winners can be found on the contest page.
