The Competition Commission is a statutory body established in 2009 to enforce the Competition Act 2007. This Act established a competition regime in Mauritius, under which the Competition Commission can investigate possible anticompetitive behavior by businesses. In its investigations, the Competition Commission has considerable powers to compel businesses and others involved to provide information. If it decides that a business’s conduct is anticompetitive, it has strong powers to intervene and correct the situation. Where businesses have been found to be deliberately agreeing to fix prices or share markets, the Commission can impose fines.
The Commission is a parastatal, under the aegis of the Ministry of Commerce and Consumer Protection. However, the Commission is independent of Government in its decision-making. The Executive Director of the Commission, supported by his staff, decides independently what to investigate and carries out the investigation. Decisions are then taken by five Commissioners, headed by a Chairman. The Executive Director is not a Commissioner.