The UNCTAD Regional Policy Dialogue is an interactive discussion organised in collaboration with UNECE and in partnership with the BRICS Competition and Policy Center. This Regional Dialogue brought together representatives and officials of government MSME bodies, as well as competition authority representatives from across the region to discuss how competition policy could support MSMEs in their recovery post COVID-19 with a specific focus on market access. The event prioritised sharing experiences and best practices that have emerged during this crisis.
Alexey Ivanov, director of BRICS Antimonopoly Centre, is confident that it is critically important to ensure the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises, since the transition to digitalization has made MSPs even more vulnerable.
"Information and capital are concentrated in the hands of large digital platforms, which means that the market power is also concentrated. Such processes require a response at the political level, including a radical revision and addition of regulatory measures."
Alexey also noted the role of UNCTAD in organizing the event:
"We are grateful to UNCTAD for starting this dialogue and attracting so many participants to it. Today, the antimonopoly authorities are focused on the proactive development of competition, and not only on retrospective protection. Both mutual support and close integration of the work of antimonopoly agencies will help maintain the dynamics of competition."