The Ministry of Economic Affairs of Bhutan and UNCTAD's Competition and Consumer Policy Branch organized a national stakeholders meeting to report on Bhutan's National Competition Policy.
The Bhutan Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), in collaboration with UNCTAD's Competition and Consumer Policy Branch, organized a national meeting in Thimphu, Bhutan from 12-13 January 2015, to inform stakeholders about the progress made in the preparation of the National Competition Policy (NCP).
The Final Draft of the NCP will be presented to the National Assembly for consideration and approval during 2015.
The NCP provides a framework for ensuring coherence in public policy — promoting efficiency, competitiveness and consumer welfare.
The Royal Government of Bhutan decision to adopt the National Competition Policy, instead of a competition law, was taken after a careful evaluation of enforcement capacity within the country.
The NCP requires all relevant government departments and agencies to carry out a Competition Impact Assessment of all regulations and policies prior to their enactment, as well as to review outdated laws and rules.
The national meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture, Home Affairs, Education, Health, Labour and Finance; regulators including the Bureau of Standards, Drug Regulatory Authority, Anti-Corruption Commission, the Public Procurement Office and Customs; and groups representing the business community and consumers.