Luanda — The Program Manager of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Angola, Ekmel Çizmecioglu, on Monday in Luanda reaffirmed this bloc's involvement in creating a robust and dynamic market environment in the country, aiming to strengthen the economy.
Speaking at the opening of a seminar on "Assessing the Competitive Impact of Public Policies," promoted by the Competition Regulatory Authority (ARC), in partnership with the Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC), the European representative indicated as a central strategy, to achieve this goal, the promotion of fair competition and implementation of economic activities in the country.
He argued that healthy competition encourages companies to implement their operations to access regulated markets and resources, while also raising standards of quality and innovation.
Ekmel Çizmecioglu noted that the facilitation of dialogue between the European Union and Angola has been crucial for implementing best practices in various public policies, aligning with international standards.
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He added that this collaborative initiative has strengthened regulatory frameworks and brought together different perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of how best to sustain and expand the economy.
In turn, ARC Administrator, Nelson Lembe analyzed the assessment of the impact of competition on public policies as a fundamental tool for promoting the principle of competition and fostering the economic efficiency of markets.
He said that through this mechanism, the policies designed by various State Administration bodies are evaluated to identify and mitigate potential negative effects on the market.
The official noted that the Competition Regulatory Authority has developed landmark work in the field of public policy evaluation, notably the production of guidelines on the methodology for assessing competition impact.
According to the manager, in 2020, the Authority launched a Public Policy Competitiveness Profile Assessment Program (PAPP), which initially assessed four segments namely ports, land transportation, construction and banking.
The second phase, whose report will be published soon, includes an assessment of the food distribution, fisheries, and mining subsectors.
The three-day seminar on "Assessing the Competitive Impact of Public Policies" brings together representatives from ministerial departments, including legal experts and experts from the Research, Planning, and Statistics Offices, members of the Sectoral Regulatory Entities (ERS), and economic operators.
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The event, part of the European Union-Angola Dialogues Program, aims to strengthen the discussion on integrating competition into public policymaking in Angola.
"Methodology and Procedures for Competitive Assessment of Public Policies", "Integration of Public Policies and Competition" and "Competitive Assessment of Public Policies", are among the topics under discussion.
