KOICA, CCP renews collaboration to enhance law enforcement

ISLAMABAD: The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) have rekindled their collaborative efforts, aiming to bolster mutual cooperation and capacity building initiatives.

KOICA has affirmed its unwavering support to CCP, pledging assistance in enhancing enforcement capabilities, fostering joint research endeavors, and fortifying capacity-building initiatives.

In a recent meeting between Je Ho Yeon, the Country Director of KOICA Pakistan Office, and Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu, Chairman of CCP, both parties engaged in fruitful discussions regarding bilateral cooperation and strategies for capacity enhancement.

KOICA has outlined plans to facilitate a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) and CCP, aimed at fostering information exchange, joint research endeavors, and advocacy programmes.

This collaboration seeks to particularly focus on Korean enterprises operating within Pakistan’s private sector, thereby enhancing CCP’s bid-rigging system and augmenting its competence in addressing competition issues within the digital economy sphere.

A notable point of discussion during the meeting was KOICA’s interest in reinstating a fellowship programme tailored for CCP officers in Korea.

Historically, KOICA’s fellowship programme has been instrumental in equipping 30 CCP officers with comprehensive training over a three-year period in Korea.

This programme encompassed diverse facets of competition law and featured training sessions led by seasoned competition experts and senior officials from the KFTC.

The renewed collaboration is poised to further refine the expertise of CCP officers and broaden their outlook, empowering them to adeptly tackle emerging challenges in competition law and policy.

Furthermore, it is anticipated to facilitate the exchange of best practices between Korea and Pakistan, thereby bolstering the enforcement framework and fostering an environment conducive to fair competition in both nations.