Knowledge Highlights 17 April 2025
Antitrust developments and enforcement activity in South-east Asia: October to December 2024
In this issue of the Competition Law Quarterly, we highlight notable antitrust developments and enforcement activity in South-east Asia which took place in the fourth quarter of 2024, including the following:
- Indonesia: The Indonesia Competition Commission (“KPPU”) has been active in its review of late notifications of merger transactions in various industries, including vehicle rental, rubber plantation and production, hydroelectric power, and cryptocurrency assets. KPPU also continues its active enforcement against potential anti-competitive conduct and abuse of dominance, including:
- investigating alleged collusion in a 2017 tender for a clean water supply project;
- investigating alleged collusion in the tender process for the procurement of electric multiple unit supply;
- enforcement against price fixing conduct for the provision of container depot services;
- enforcement against life and material sciences companies for bid-rigging during the tendering and procurement process; and
- enforcement against several entities for abuse of dominant position in the market for delivery services (courier) on a marketplace platform.
- Singapore: The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCCS”) has been active in its review of potential merger transactions that may lead to a substantial lessening of competition in the property platform sector and the oil-and-gas industry. CCCS continues to be active in its review of alliance agreements in the aviation industry, and enforcement against potential anti-competitive conduct. In particular, CCCS has:
- released Qantas Airways Limited and Emirates from capacity commitments on the Singapore-Melbourne route and released Qantas from capacity commitments on the Singapore-Brisbane route;
- issued a Proposed Infringement Decision for bid-rigging conduct relating to public tenders for upgrading works;
- issued a Proposed Infringement Decision for anti-competitive coordination to exchange information on the undertakings’ outward remittance rates;
- issued an Infringement Decision against bid-rigging conduct relating to several tenders for interior fit-out construction services in non-residential properties across Singapore; and
- ended its assessment for a decision relating to the proposed joint implementation of a proposed Supplementary Retirement Scheme framework, following withdrawal of the application by the applicants.
- Philippines: The Philippine Competition Commission accepted a settlement proposal to address concerns regarding anti-competitive practices in the service contracts industry and reviewed anticipated mergers in the aviation and energy industry.
- Malaysia: The Malaysia Competition Commission issued warnings against potential anti-competitive conduct of various associations. It also reviewed an anticipated merger in the aviation industry.
- Thailand: The Trade Competition Commission of Thailand cleared five post-merger notifications in various industries. It also dismissed complaints of anti-competitive agreements in various industries, including consumer food products, digital platform food delivery services, second-hand products, and sugar production.
- Vietnam: The Vietnam Competition Commission issued its decision on a proposed merger transaction in the container shipping and seaport services markets.
For more, please click here for an overview of notable antitrust developments in South-east Asia in the fourth quarter of 2024. To see if there has been any enforcement activity in your sector in the fourth quarter of 2024, please refer to the overview chart here.
