COMPETITION AND FAIR TRADING

CHAPTER 48:09
COMPETITION AND FAIR TRADING

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

    3.    Application

PART II
THE COMPETITION AND FAIR TRADING COMMISSION

    4.    Establishment of the Commission

    5.    Functions of the Commission

    6.    Powers of the Commission

    7.    Membership of the Commission

    8.    Tenure of office and vacancies

    9.    Removal from office

    10.    Meetings of the Commission

    11.    Committees of the Commission

    12.    Invited persons

    13.    Allowances and expenses

    14.    Secretariat of the Commission

    15.    Chief Executive Officer of the Commission

    16.    Removal of the Chief Executive Officer

    17.    Other employees of the Commission

PART III
FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

    18.    Funds of the Commission

    19.    Levy

    20.    Accounts and audits

PART IV
GENERAL POWERS OF THE COMMISSION

    21.    Powers of investigation

    22.    Administrative orders

    23.    Interim measures

PART V
ANTI-COMPETITIVE BUSINESS CONDUCT

    24.    Prohibition of anti-competitive trade practices

    25.    Defences observed for anti-competitive agreements

    26.    Prohibited activities

    27.    Prohibition of agreements between enterprises at the same level of production and supply

    28.    Prohibition of abuse of dominance

    29.    Defences observed for abuse of dominance

    30.    Grant of authorizations

    31.    Abuse of buyer power

    32.    Remedies and decisions of the Commission for anti-competitive conduct

    33.    Advisory opinion

    34.    Market studies and market inquiries

PART VI
REVIEW AND CONTROL OF MERGERS

    35.    Merger defined

    36.    Transactions subject to merger control

    37.    Mergers to require formal approval

    38.    Acquisition of control defined

    39.    Acquisition of relevant assets defined

    40.    Threshold for proposed mergers

    41.    Assessment criteria for mergers

    42.    Public interest assessment

    43.    Formal approval of a merger

    44.    Commission action in relation to reviewed mergers

    45.    Prior implementation of a merger

    46.    Failure to file for formal approval, or prior implementation, of a merger

    47.    Proposals and measures for remedying a merger

    48.    Action in relation to abandoned mergers

    49.    Revocation of approval

    50.    Negative clearance

PART VII
UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES

    51.    Unfair trading

    52.    Unfair consumer contracts

    53.    Procedures and remedies for unfair trading practices

PART VIII
POWERS OF THE COURT

    54.    Civil remedies

    55.    Enforcement of orders of the Commission

    56.    Appeals

    57.    Third Party liability

PART IX
SETTLEMENT OF INFRINGEMENTS AND LENIENCY PROGRAMMES

    58.    Settlement of an infringement

    59.    Leniency programme

PART X
CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION

    60.    Form of cooperation with multilateral or regional competition or consumer authorities

    61.    Enforceability of the decisions of the multilateral or regional competition or consumer authority

    62.    Cooperation with other States

    63.    Definitions

PART XI
MISCELLANEOUS

    64.    Annual reports

    65.    Common seal

    66.    Disclosure of interests

    67.    Oath of secrecy

    68.    Confidentiality

    69.    Protection of Commissioners and employees of the Commission

    70.    Offences and penalties

    71.    Offences committed by bodies corporate

    72.    Limitation of time

    73.    Regulations, guidelines, notices and forms

    74.    Government to be bound

    75.    Repeal and savings

    76.    Transitional matters

        SCHEDULE

20 of 2024
G.N. 43/2024

    An Act to encourage competition in the economy by prohibiting anti-competitive trade practices; establish the Competition and Fair Trading Commission; regulate and monitor monopolies and concentrations of economic power; protect consumer welfare; strengthen the efficiency of production and distribution of goods, digital products and services; to secure the best possible conditions for the freedom of trade; facilitate the expansion of the base of entrepreneurship; and to provide for matters incidental thereto or connected therewith

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Competition and Fair Trading Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “affiliated” means an association of any two enterprises where—

    (a)    one of the enterprises is a holding entity of the other enterprise; or

    (b)    both enterprises are subsidiaries of the same holding entity;

    “agreement” includes any agreement, arrangement or understanding, whether oral or in writing, or whether or not the agreement is legally enforceable or is intended to be legally enforceable;

    “annual income” means the total amount in cash or otherwise, including any capital gain, received by or accrued to, or in favour of, a person or an enterprise in any year, from a source within Malawi or deemed to be within Malawi;

    “buyer power” means the influence exerted by an undertaking or group of undertakings in the position of a purchaser of a product or service to—

    (a)    obtain from a supplier more favourable terms; or

    (b)    impose a long-term opportunity cost including harm…