Towards a Modern Competition Law for Jordan Workshop Calls for Enforcing Modern Economic Legislation

The Jordanian Government has implemented a number of policies and plans which aim at enhancing the competitiveness of the economic sectors in the country ? Minister Al-Hadidi
We need advanced legislations that take into considerations the interests of competitors and the public alike ? Abu-Ghazaleh

AMMAN --- June 22, 2009 --- The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business/ German Jordanian University and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Amman held a workshop today entitled National Strategy Towards a Modern Competition Law for Jordan at Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Business Forum (TAG-Forum) which was inaugurated by HE Minister of Industry and Trade Amer Al-Hadidi.

In his key note speech, Al-Hadidi stated that the Jordanian Government has implemented a number of policies and plans which aim at enhancing the competitiveness of the economic sectors in the country in a mechanism to create a healthy economic environment which attracts national and foreign investments.

?The competition law was issued as a temporary legislation on August 15, 2002 and became effective since that date. Accordingly, Jordan became the first Arab country in the Middle East to initiate such a national piece of law,? he said.

Al-Hadidi noted that Jordan?s competition law is in conformity with the international competition legislations adding that the Ministry has carried out several procedures to enhance and protect competition in the Kingdom one of which is the launch of the Competition Directorate.

?The Directorate has played a vital role in safeguarding competition regulations in the country. Since its establishment, its staff dealt with 194 cases and economic applications which included complaints, consultancies and economic research and studies,? he said.
In his opening remarks on behalf of Mr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, chairman and CEO of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org), Mr. Mustafa Naserddin, TAG-Org senior executive director pointed out that the lack of effective competition laws endangers the interests of the vulnerable entities and mainly the national industries in Jordan, consequently such entities will not have the potentials to protect such interests against the influential financial blocks and enterprises.

?I believe it is time to introduce a new modern competition law in Jordan to establish work environment characterized of equality and fairness that enables individuals, universities and enterprises practice their own Intellectual Property Rights,? he stressed.

?We need advanced legislations that take into considerations the interests of competitors and the public alike,? he concluded.

From his part, Mr. Michael Daumer, KAS Amman director, noted that the world is currently witnessing a financial crisis, though Jordan is not extremely affected by it.

?There is an urgent need for a social market economy where competition is part of it. Therefore, we need to share and exchange our expertise in enforcing the competition legislations with the assistance of all the concerned parties,? Daumer highlighted.

During the one-day venue, five presentations were delivered covering various topics such as; competition laws ? a theoretical approach; competition and the concept of the social market economy; Intellectual Property Rights and the business environment; the Jordanian experience with competition laws and the 2002 competition law-achievements, challenges and lessons learned.

Attorneys from Germany, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Lebanon and other concerned parties took part in the event.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Committed to advancing and maintaining democracy, freedom, and justice in the world, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) with its headquarters in Berlin has continuously worked in the various fields of social, economic, educational, cultural, environmental, and security politics in an effort to strengthening political stability, economic prosperity, regional integration, and mutual understanding since 1955.
In Jordan, KAS has been active through its Amman Office for more than 25 years aiming at sustainable social, political, and economic development.

Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business (TAG-College) was established in 2006 to offer high quality business programs. It is the first college of its kind to represent a partnership between the private and the public sectors in the Arab world.

This unique partnership brings the business expertise of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAG-Org) to the academic world of the German Jordanian University (GJU).