The Commission’s Secretariat is headed by the Executive Director who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Secretariat. The Executive Director is supported by the following Directorates:
Competition
The Directorate of Competition has a dual responsibility:
- Assessing mergers and acquisitions of companies to ensure that they do not result in substantial lessening competition. In this regard, the Directorate undertakes the following specific functions;
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- Receiving and investigating applications for authorisation of proposed mergers and acquisitions;
- Undertaking consultations with stakeholders on mergers and acquisitions authorisation applications
- Undertaking economic analysis of proposed mergers and acquisitions;
- Preparing technical papers on merger and acquisition applications;
- Monitoring implementation of merged and acquired enterprises;
- Ensuring that business operators are not engaging in anti-competitive business practices. In this regard, the Directorate undertakes the following specific functions;
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- Monitoring business conduct to ensure that operators are not engaged on Restrictive Business Practices;
- Receiving and investigating complaints relating to restrictive business practices;
- Monitoring and assessing monopolies and market concentration
- Assessing existence of dominant market power and possible abuses of dominant market power;
- Monitoring and carrying out investigations on prohibited business practices (cartels)
Consumer Affairs
The Directorate of Consumer Affairs has a dual responsibility:
- Providing a robust advocacy and consumer education programme to ensure that consumers and businesses understand their rights and obligations under the Competition and Fair Trading Act. In this regard, the Directorate undertakes the following specific functions:
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- Carrying out advocacy and sensitization workshops for business, consumers, sector regulators and other stakeholders
- Publishing a weekly newspaper column
- Producing radio and TV programmes including documentaries, jingles etc.
- Producing a range of information, education and communication materials including speeches, press releases, media articles etc.
- Facilitating internal and external communication to enhance the public image of the Commission
- Maintaining CFTC’s website and other social media presence.
- Protecting consumer welfare from unfair trading practices by providing a redress mechanism for all consumers whose rights have been violated occasioning loss or damage. In this regard, the Directorate undertakes the following specific functions:
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- Receiving and investigating complaints relating to unfair trade practices.
- Providing an avenue for consumers and the general public to seek redress in regard to consumer related complaints; and
- Providing support to help businesses and consumers to understand the rights and obligation created by the Act.
- Monitoring trading practices.
- Facilitating cooperation agreements with other sector regulators
Legal Services
The Directorate of Legal Services is responsible for enforcing compliance with rules, regulations and policies:
- Enforcing the Board’s decisions on cases relating to violation of the Act
- Ensuring that businesses are complying with the Act;
- Providing non-binding advisory opinions on matters, which constitute clarifications of the Act as well as providing non-binding advisory opinions as to whether the implementation of a proposed business plan or practice would comply with the Act.
- Providing legal advice to the Commission;
- Prosecuting cases under the Act subject to consent by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- Reviewing procedures adopted by Commission for implementation and enforcement of the Act;
- Monitoring and implementing undertakings entered into between the Commission and companies in relation to Section 44 of the Act.
Corporate Services
The Directorate is responsible for providing administrative, logistical, finance and human resource services for efficient and effective operation of the Secretariat. Specifically, the Directorate is responsible for;
- Ensuring that CFTC is served by specialist professionals;
- Ensuring that CFTC funds are properly managed and used in the most effective way
- Personnel administration and recruitment including staff capacity enhancement;
- IT services and Library/information services;
- Providing logistical support services including assisting organise conferences/seminars.
- Maintaining staff welfare; and
- Managing CFTC assets including transport and estates.