CCS Launches Essay Competition on Competition and Consumer Protection Policies

(View Media Release in PDF)

1. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) and the Economic Society of Singapore (ESS) today announced the launch of the 3rd CCS-ESS Essay Competition. The topic for this year’s competition is “Nexus between Competition and Consumer Protection Policies”.

2. Competition and consumer protection policies both help to enhance consumer welfare, but in different ways. Competition policy deals with anti-competitive conduct by businesses, which is not related to merit, innovation or efficiency, as well as advocating pro-competitive regulations and government policies. It aims to promote healthy competitive markets that will benefit both businesses and consumers in terms of more choices, lower prices and better services and products. Consumer protection policy deals with unfair trade practices that result in consumers being deceived or misled, or which take advantage of a consumer who is not in a position to protect his own interest. The aim is to protect consumers by improving market transparency and information flow between consumers and producers, weeding out rogue traders and minimising transaction and search costs for consumers.

3. This contest invites contestants to examine the extent to which both competition and consumer protection polices can harmonise or complement each other to ensure markets function effectively. Ideas on how these two functions can be housed in a single agency to offer opportunities and benefits should be discussed, alongside challenges that such integration might bring and how they can be addressed. Suggestions on areas or issues currently present in the market that can be better addressed using both competition and consumer policies can also be discussed.

4. The essay competition has two categories:
   “Pre-university” category: all pre-universities^[1] students studying and based in Singapore, current full time servicemen (NSFs) who have completed their pre-university education; as well as Singaporean students studying in overseas pre-universities.
   “Open” category: all individuals living in Singapore as well as Singaporeans living overseas (excluding those who qualify under the “pre-university” category).

5. The following awards will be given to the winning essays of each category (“Pre-University” and “Open”): 
   1st prize - $3,000
   2nd prize - $2,000
   3rd prize - $1,000
   Merit - $300 x 3

The terms and conditions as well as entry forms for the CCS-ESS Essay Competition are available on the website. The closing date for the submission of entries is 1 June 2018.

About The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS)

CCS is a statutory board established under the Competition Act (Chapter 50B) on 1 January 2005 to administer and enforce the Act. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The Act empowers CCS to investigate alleged anti-competitive activities, determine if such activities infringe the Act and impose suitable remedies, directions and financial penalties. For more information, please visit www.ccs.gov.sg.

About Economic Society of Singapore

The Economic Society of Singapore (ESS) is a non-profit organisation of economists and other professionals interested in economics. ESS brings together members of the economics profession in academia, the government and business sectors and provides a platform for discussions on issues facing the Singapore economy and the region. The primary objective of the Society is to raise public awareness, and stimulate public interest and debate, in economic issues. It does this by organizing conferences, talks, workshops and public lectures and by conducting studies on issues, either on its own or in partnership with other organizations.

For more information, please visit www.ess.org.sg

For media clarifications, please contact:

Ms. Grace Suen
Senior Assistant Director
Communications
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: grace_suen@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8216 / 9835 8601

Ms. Loy Pwee Inn
Senior Assistant Director
Communications
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: loy_pwee_inn@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8313

^[1] This include, for examples, Polytechnics, Centralised Institutes, International Schools and Junior Colleges.