Drew & Napier LLC has appointed a former director of economics from Singapore’s Competition Commission.

The Competition Commission of Singapore has clarified that it is not its general intention to review or regulate firms’ pricing decisions.

SUHAIMI LAZIM and JANE ITTOGI of Shook Lin & Bok look at the latest developments in the national competition law of Singapore

Some important revisions to the Draft Competition Law have been made in the past two months. Jane Ittogi and Suhaimi Lazim Shook Lin & Bok Singapore

Singapore is committed to establishing a general competition law regime by 1 January 2005, under the Free Trade Agreement recently signed between Singapore and the US. Presently, Singapore does not have a general competition law regime, and only the telecoms, energy and (to a lesser extent) media industries enjoy sector-specific competition regulation. The introduction of a general competition law regime also reflects Singapore’s long-term strategy of encouraging the growth of local entrepreneurship and moving away from its traditional dependence upon government-linked corporations.

To promote local and international market competition as part of a free trade agreement with the US, Singapore has released a Competition Bill. JANE ITTOGI and SUHAIMI LAZIM, partners at Shook Lin & Bok, Singapore, examine the draft.

Singapore has issued a competition law for consultation. The draft competition bill went up on the website of the Ministry of Trade and Industry on 12 April. It is Singapore’s first generalised competition law.

Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry has made its first high-profile appointment, as the island state bids to introduce a broad-based competition law by 2005.