U.S. envoy, SCPEC chair discuss market competition with Armenian business community

PanARMENIAN.Net - On June 14, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern, State Commission on Protection of Economic Competition (SCPEC) Chairman Dr. Artak Shaboyan, and senior government officials joined Armenia’s business community to discuss market competition issues at the “Competition Issues, Analysis and Solutions” conference at the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan. The conference was organized by the USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Market Competitiveness (EDMC) Project, the SCPEC, and the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham).

The objective of the conference was to share knowledge and best practices in identifying and combating anti-competitive practices, especially in regards to businesses operating in USAID/EDMC-supported value chains – i.e. food processing, pharmaceuticals/biotechnology, hospitality, and information technologies.

SCPEC Chairman Shaboyan noted that economic competition is not only important for Armenia’s economic growth and prosperity, but also for enabling a competitive position in the international market and for protecting consumer rights. The Chairman called upon all participants to refer competition issues to the Commission.

The USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Market Competitiveness (EDMC) Project seeks to improve Armenia’s business environment and support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This five-year project aims to increase employment and income in Armenia by promoting growth in select value chains that have strong export potential – information technologies and engineering services, the hospitality industry, food processing and pharmaceuticals/bio-technology.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Armenia is the leading business association in the country with around 100 member companies from all business segments. AmCham has been operating in Armenia since 2000. AmCham advocates for the business interests of its members in Armenia and works towards establishing a competitive and transparent business environment and investment climate in the country.