Competition Commission forced to suspend inquiries due to cash crunch

The commission’s Sipho Ngwenya says it has been forced to suspended its health market inquiry and its market inquiries into public transport and data costs until the start of the new financial year in April.

"The commission is a victim of its own successes. There has been overwhelming work which basically has been exceeded, particularly in the past financial year on our own projections, so we have now tried to suspend what we have.

 "What we have also done is to make sure that we slow some of the activities, particularly in the inquiries. We have also slowed down in terms of investigations of cartels and others so that we don't exceed our budget.”

Ngwenya says the commission is in talks with Treasury and the Department of Economic Development to increase its funding in the new financial year.

"We have said to them, in terms of the amount of work we are getting and in terms of the budget, there has been an imbalance there - we need to get much more funding. 

"They are listening to us. We are hoping that in time we are going to have adequate resources so that we can execute our mandates to the best of our abilities."

The commission has turned its focus to cases that have already reached the Tribunal.

"We are focusing largely on the cases that are at the Tribunal because that you can't slow down. The dates and the processes are dependent on the tribunal. But in terms of new cases and opening new investigations, we are trying to make sure that we unleash resources on them in the new financial year.  

"So, what we are concentrating on now are the old cases and particularly the ones that are already in litigation."