Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Trinidad and Tobago Fair Trading Commission?
The Trinidad and Tobago Fair Trading Commission is an independent agency established pursuant to the Fair Trading Act that is responsible for promoting and maintaining fair competition in Trinidad and Tobago.
How does the Commission help protect consumers?
The Commission when fully operational is expected to help protect and strengthen free and open competitive markets and ensure that businesses compete fairly. Aggressive competition among sellers gives consumers access to higher quality goods and services.
How does the Fair Trading Commission promote competition?
The Commission promotes competition by:
- Investigating and challenging anti-competitive activities such as unjustified exclusionary conduct by dominant firms and monopolies and agreements between competitors that restrain competition.
- Reviewing and approving mergers and challenging those that may lead to higher prices, fewer choices, or less innovation.
- Creating a competition culture in Trinidad and Tobago through advocacy efforts focused on disseminating information to businesses, consumers and other stakeholders that articulate the benefits of competition.
Why is competition important?
Competition spurs businesses to be more efficient, innovative and responsive. The benefits, brought about by a competitive market, will directly benefit consumers, who will enjoy more choices, lower prices, better and more innovative products and services.
How can I contact the Commission?
You can contact the Commission by calling (868) 623-2931 ext. 2202/2232/2234/2236 or sending an email to info@tandtftc.org.
What are the most common examples of conduct that are prohibited under the Fair Trading Act?
Agreements to fix, directly or indirectly, a purchase or selling price or any other trading conditions; share a market or sources of supply; limit or control production, market outlets or market access, technical or technological development; or perform an act of bid rigging.
What is meant by a dominant undertaking or enterprise?
An enterprise would be deemed dominant when if by itself or together with an interconnected body corporate, it occupies such a position of economic strength as will enable it to operate in the market without effective constraints from its competitors or potential competitors.
What is meant by abuse of a dominant position?
An enterprise which has a dominant position is said to have monopoly power and abuses that power if it impedes the maintenance or development of effective competition in a particular market. This includes, directly or indirectly imposing unfair purchase or selling prices or other unfair trading terms on any supplier or customer, limiting or controlling production or market access to the prejudice of consumers. Abuse may also include refusing to supply to a particular enterprise or group, applying different conditions to equivalent transactions with other trading parties and predatory behaviour towards competitors.
Does the Commission provide advice to businesses?
The Commission is in the process of preparing Guidelines to the Fair Trading Act. In the interim the Commission will on request provide advice concerning the interpretation of the provisions of the Fair Trading Act (see contact information above).