CCCS supports competition policy and law developments at various international and regional platforms such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). CCCS also engages competition authorities, competition practitioners and key overseas counterparts to build capacity as well as to cooperate on competition policy and law matters. Such collaboration may include cooperation on competition enforcement, study visits, experience sharing, and staff exchanges, among other things.

CCCS is particularly active in the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) to promote cooperation and capacity building efforts in the region. It currently chairs the AEGC Work Group on Developing Strategy and Tools for Regional Advocacy. The objective of the Work Group is to promote awareness in ASEAN on the contribution of competition policy and law to economic development and facilitate the exchange of experiences and implementation of projects among ASEAN Member States on competition advocacy.

In this regard, CCCS led the development of a regional web portal to provide one-stop information on developments on competition policy and law in ASEAN and to serve as a platform for AEGC members to interact and share information. To complement the web portal, a set of competition advocacy collaterals in the form of a brochure and pamphlet were also developed to raise awareness among the general public on competition policy and law in the region. Through the use of simple language, the collaterals aim to educate businesses and consumers in ASEAN on key principles of competition policy and law, particularly with regards to its application in the region.

CCCS has also hosted relevant competition workshops to promote exchange of experiences by competition authorities around the world, as well as to give talks or present at workshops/conferences hosted by foreign competition authorities.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint acknowledges the importance of competition policy and law in promoting economic development and integration. Under the AEC Blueprint, ASEAN Member States will endeavour to introduce competition policy by 2015. Other action items include the establishment of an official body in ASEAN comprising a network of authorities that are responsible for competition policy to discuss and coordinate competition policy in the region, the development of regional guidelines on competition policy, as well as carrying out capacity building to promote development of competition policy in the region.

Singapore plays an active role by working with other ASEAN Members States on these goals to help advance the development of sound competition policies and best practices for the region.

You may refer to the web portal of the ASEAN Experts Group on Competition (AEGC) at http://www.asean-competition.org/

Various informative publications and collaterals developed by the AEGC may also be accessed at CCCS's website. 

You may approach the relevant competition authority in the overseas jurisdiction for direct assistance. As competition law may involve technical and legal concepts, it may also be useful to seek independent legal advice in relation to your company's specific situation.

You may also consider approaching CCCS to discuss the matter. While CCCS is unable to offer dedicated legal advice, we may be able to assist by referring you to the relevant overseas authority.

Competition law helps to create a more level playing field for companies venturing overseas by prohibiting certain anti-competitive conduct. For example, a company may find it hard to go into a market or expand its business because existing market players may be trying to use their dominant position to restrict customers from buying from new players or engage in predatory pricing to force new entrants out of the market. Competition law can assist by allowing companies to seek recourse against such behaviour through official powers vested in an authority to pursue legal enforcement against anticompetitive conduct.