Azerbaijan's State Service reviews issues on preparing Competition Code

A meeting was held with the heads of natural monopoly entities in the Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control State Service under the Ministry of Economy, Azernews reports.

The meeting was organized to clarify the areas of natural monopoly activity envisaged in the Competition Code, requirements for the activities of natural monopoly entities, and the legal regulatory mechanisms arising from this field, as well as to discuss the enactment of comprehensive legislative tools, economic regulations, and agreements with the competition authority concerning the actions of natural monopoly entities subject to state control and other issues.

During the meeting, the head of the State Service, Mammad Abbasbayli, stated that while preparing the Competition Code, which will come into force on July 1 of this year, international experience in regulating natural monopoly activities has been studied, and innovative proposals have been included in the Code based on models suitable for our national economy. It was emphasised that the responsibility measures included in the Code are aimed at combating violations of the law to support entrepreneurship and to counter behaviours contrary to the interests of consumers.

Discussions also focused on allocating investments to sectors other than those identified in the Code for natural monopoly activities, starting new areas of activity, restructuring natural monopoly entities, abolition, or transfer of powers in the field of natural monopoly activities to other legal entities, etc.

In addition, it was emphasised that natural monopoly entities operating in the consumer market must demonstrate fair treatment and approach to consumers, ensuring prompt handling of citizen complaints. The importance of creating an environment that ensures equal access for business entities to products and services produced by natural monopoly entities and the development of an environment that ensures equal benefits from products and services provided by natural monopoly entities to business entities were also noted.

Finally, mutual cooperation and joint activity issues were discussed for the effective organisation of natural monopoly activities.