Competition Commission introduces e-filing facility

Making it simpler for entities to submit information, fair trade regulator CCI today said it has introduced electronic filing facility.
Competition Commission of India (CCI), which keeps a tab on unfair business practices in the market place, has been working on e-filing system for sometime.
E-filing system is also expected to help the watchdog handle submissions related to mergers and acquisitions in lesser time.
In a tweet, the regulator today said it has introduced "e-filing of information under Competition Act".
The introduction of e-filing facility also comes at a time when the regulator has been witnessing an increase in the number of combination filings received by it.

In October alone, the regulator received 21 merger filings - the highest number for any month in the past four years.

CCI, in July this year, had revised its combination regulations as part of its efforts to make the process simpler and more transparent.
So far, the Commission has dealt with more than 300 cases related to mergers and acquisitions. Deals beyond a certain threshold are required to get CCI's approval.
"This case highlights the obstinacy of chemists &
druggist associations who, despite various orders by the Commission in similar cases in other parts of India with respect to this NoC practice, have not abstained from indulging in such anti-competitive conduct," the release said.

Instead of desisting from such activity, these associations are mandating the NoC requirement, "either verbally (in order to avoid any documentary evidence/proof) or under camouflaged congratulatory/intimation letters, with a view to hide their apparent anti-competitive behaviour behind these benign nomenclatures," the release said.
Further, it noted that CCI has unambiguously clarified that the use of benign nomenclatures by these associations would not absolve them of the legal consequences of their anti-competitive conduct.