Competition law change will allow wider probes

The proposed amendments to the Act will give authorities the power to investigate industries and sectors on a large scale. These inquiries will examine whether competition is working in the markets and whether industries are competitive enough to deliver their full benefits to consumers. The Competition Commission says it will initiate market inquiries to scrutinise areas of the economy where \'inherited\' monopolies and \'complex monopolies\' are maintained and in which there are \'uncompetitive outcomes,\' although it is hard to show when practices prohibited by law have been committed. The areas that will come under scrutiny include the fertiliser, banking, bread and milling industries, where there are complex monopolies, as well as the telecommunications industry. Anthony Norton, head of the competition unit at Webber Wentzel Bowens Attorneys, says the large-scale investigation would be in line with the European Commission\'s recent investigations into various industries, such as the banking and financial services sectors. Full Business Day report