By Arret Jatta
The Ecowas Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) has urged West African governments, regulators and businesses to strengthen competition culture and enforcement, warning that weak competition undermines regional integration, economic growth and consumer protection.
Addressing a three-day National Seminar on Competition Law and Policy in Kololi, ERCA Executive Director Dr Simeon Koffi pointed out that effective competition policy is essential for markets to deliver lower prices, higher-quality goods and greater choice. “When firms collude to fix prices, carve up markets or block new entrants, consumers suffer and regional competitiveness erodes,” he said.
Dr Koffi reminded attendees that ERCA — created under Ecowas competition rules adopted in 2008 and formally launched in Banjul in 2019 — enforces regional regulations and pursues cross-border anti-competitive conduct. He noted that legal reforms adopted in 2021 have strengthened ERCA’s mandate and enabled the authority to scrutinise merger and acquisition transactions involving companies operating across multiple member states.
The seminar is part of a regional awareness campaign under the Competition and Consumer Product Safety Support Programme (PaCoSPro), funded by the European Union. PaCoSPro representative Mariana Tavares said the event seeks to foster practical dialogue among policymakers, businesses, civil society, the judiciary and competition authorities, and to share enforcement lessons from other blocs, including the European Union.
Speaking for the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, the Deputy Permanent Secretary reiterated the Gambian government’s commitment to enforcing competition law, protecting consumers and deepening economic integration across Ecowas.
