 
Contact Address Details:
Gambia
Competition Commission 
Banjul area Head Office
36 Kotu East, Kmc, Ksmd
(Off Bertil Harding
Highway)
PO Box 3299, Serrekunda
The Gambia, Western Region
West Africa
Tel no: +220 4466792
4466793
Fax:
4466791
Email: info@gcc.gm
Branches:
1
Directions:
To get to the official regulator's GCC headquarters turn off the Senegambia Highway at Kotu East.
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Information:
The (GCC) Gambia Competition Commission was established on the
27th October 2008 under the oversight of the Ministry of Trade and
Industry. The GCC is the statutory Government authority
responsible for overseeing the fair provision of goods and
services by ensuring that all businesses adhere to the Gambia's
Competition Act of 2007. The act aims to promote fair
business competition and spells out prohibited business
practices in order to provide guidance to firms, their legal
advisors and consultants. The statute also gives explanations to
the kinds of queries that individuals might make about the
Competition Commission and the Act.
 Some
of the restrictive practices that the body aims to protect
Gambian consumers from are monopolies, collusive agreements,
cartels, restrictive practices, bid rigging, price fixing
etc., all in order to ensure a free trade of goods and services
in the various markets. The GCC also deals with whistleblowers,
mergers and acquisitions, applications for leniency and provides
a public procurement manual and plan.
The Gambia Competition Commission has a Legal Division which can
address and explain any of the provisions of law.
Functions:
•
To investigate cases that come inside the provisions of section
29 to 32 of the Act.
• To decide on & set penalties or
apt remedies to ensure firms adhere to the clauses as described
under prohibited restrictive practices and check for compliance.
• Advising Government & other public bodies on any public sector decisions that may have an
adverse effect on competition.
• To make inquires into possible breaches of the prohibition of
restrictive agreements covered by the provisions of sections 25
and 26 of the Act.
• To promote for greater competition in The Republic of The
Gambia.
• To authorise the gathering of information required for the
assessment of cases.
• To carry out studies on the efficacy of competition in sectors
of the economy.
• To carry out meetings with stakeholders or other interested
persons.
Complaints Procedure of
the GCC:
Anyone can submit information on an
allegation of a violation of a prohibited business practice to
the Gambia Competition Commission by filling in a specially devised
complaint form to the Commission via the Secretariat, addressed
to the Executive Secretary. When such a complaint is received,
investigation of the complaint will be carried out in due
course.
Once a complaint is received, the commission may
publish a notice in the media and/or the Government Gazette,
welcoming any person who thinks the alleged practice has
affected, or is affecting, a material interest of that person to
file a complaint about the issue to their office.
The
required information that must be submitted on their prescribed
form are:
•
Your name as the complainant.
•
The name of the party being complained of.
•
A short description of the alleged breach of the Act, stating
whether the activity is still being carried out, or when the
breach stopped.
•
A written submission going into the details of the complainant's
cause for complaint, how it came about, the parties concerned,
pertinent dates and other relevant information.
Forms can be downloaded from
HERE.
Note: The GCC's procedures, policies and guidelines could be
subjected to change from time to time so you must check with
them first before making a formal complaint of any kind.
[From their website as at 20 September, 2013]
Gambia Competition Commission:
"The Act prohibits the disclosure by a person with respect
to a particular business or the affairs of an individual that
has been obtained under or by virtue of a provision of the Act
while the business continues to be carried on or during the
lifetime of the individual.
A person who provides false or misleading information knowingly
or recklessly in circumstances in which the person providing the
information intends, or could reasonably be expected to know,
that the information would be used by the Commission to exercise
a function under this Act will be liable to prosecution."
Structure of the GCC:
The Gambia Competition Commission is an authority which was set
up by legal statute and is composed of 5 presidentially
appointed commissioners who sit on a board and are headed by a
Chairman or Chairwoman.
Below them is the GCC's Executive Secretary
who is aided by a Personal Assistant. Under this post you have
the Director of Legal Services & Compliance who is assisted by a
Legal Officer, the Director of Economic Analysis, the Director
of Investigations, Director of Corporate Services and the
Director of Policy and Research. They are assisted by an
economist and two investigators.
Under the Corporate
Services Directorate are an accountant, receptionist, IT specialist, Records
Officer, Admin / Finance Officer, Procurement Officer, 7 support
staff and a secretary.
Disclaimer
The information on this above page should not be relied on for
any information whatsoever and does not constitute legal advice
or guidance on any matter whatsoever. You should visit the
Gambia Competition Commission's official website and their main office in Kotu for any
information of any kind that you seek.
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