OREANDA-NEWS.  July 05, 2013. The Government of Kazakhstan held a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov to discuss measures to improve competition protection in commodity markets.

Chairman of Competition Protection Agency B.Kuandykov told about measures to ensure equal access to markets, identify barriers hindering competition development.

In 2012 - 2013 the Agency conducted more than 50 analyses of commodity markets, the results of which show a lack of development of competition in the railway industry, pharmaceutical industry, energy sector, and telecommunications sector.

He noted that the major systemic problems hindering the development of competition were inadequacy of legislation often restricting competition, as well as unwarranted state involvement in business activities.

To address these issues the Agency for Protection of Competition proposes to implement a package of measures of legal regulation and antimonopoly regulation, reducing unwarranted state involvement in business activities, encouraging economic activity.

First Vice Prime Minister – Minister of Regional Development B.Sagintayev, Deputy Prime Minister K.Kelimbetov, Minister of Economy and Budget Planning Y.Dossayev also delivered their reports.

At the end of the discussion, Akhmetov said that during the past two years a Model Law on Competition has been widely discussed in Kazakhstan. It may become an important instrument to equalize antimonopoly legislation of Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus.

"However, it is necessary to improve national legislation in the field of competition development. The analysis conducted by the antimonopoly agency demonstrates a lack of development of competition in most segments of the economy of the country. For example, public procurement, railway industry, pharmaceutical industry, energy sector, telecommunications sector, as well as the system of permits and approvals," Akhmetov said.

In this regard, the Prime Minister instructed the Agency to continue work on the text of the Model Law on Competition taking into account the national interests.

In addition, the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Natural Monopolies Regulation Agency and other concerned government agencies were instructed to consider the proposals of the Competition Protection Agency on the improvement of the Law "On Public Procurement" and the legislation related to "regulated markets", the State Register of Market Entities, the list of regulated services of natural monopolies and development of the roadmap for accession to the OECD Convention.