More than fifteen public sector  representatives in Guyana are now more empowered to address issues  related to competition law and policy, as a result of training received at a CARIFORUM-EU workshop held from 17 -21 October 2016, in Georgetown.

The workshop on competition law and policy was designed to increase knowledge and awareness and to build the intuitional capacity of agencies to implement the CARIFORIM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

Under the guidance of workshop facilitator, Dr. Taimoon Stewart, Associate Senior lecturer in Law at the University of the West Indies, participants benefitted from in-depth presentations on three areas of competition law: anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and merger control regulation.

The economics of competition and the methodology for investigating using the Rule of Reason Procedure, along with the international dimensions of competition law and aspects of US and EU’s jurisprudence for dealing with cross border anti-competitive conduct also formed part of the workshop content.

Participants learnt the methodology for conducting market studies and gained an understanding of the importance of institution building, strategies for developing institutional capacity and winning support for the institution.

Commenting on the workshop, Mr. George Seales, a commissioner of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission said “the workshop was very educational and informative, and the training provided a wider scope in competition law and economics”. Mr. Seales recommended that all consumer bodies hold similar collaborative seminars and workshops.

The training course is an activity of the CARIFORUM-EU Capacity Building Project on Competition, Public Procurement and Customs and Trade Facilitation that is funded under the 10th EDF and under the overall supervision of the CARIFORUM Directorate, CARICOM.  The project’s main objective is to support CARIFORUM Member States’ beneficial integration in the world economy. Specifically, it seeks to help Member States to implement their EPA commitments in the areas of Competition, Procurement and Customs and Trade Facilitation. A consortium led by Equinoccio (Spain) which includes the London School of Economics (UK), SGS (Netherlands) and Maastricht School of Management (Netherlands) is implementing the project.

For more information contact:

 Ms. Ingrid Sarabo, Project Officer

Equinoccio,

315 Middle Street, South Cummingsburg,

Georgetown, Guyana

Tel: 592-227-0791; E-mail:  Isarabo@equinoccio.eu