Our role

We play a role in ensuring New Zealand’s markets are competitive, consumers and businesses are informed and empowered, and their interests protected, and sectors with little or no competition are appropriately regulated.

We are an independent Crown entity that administers and enforces laws relating to competition, fair trading, consumer credit and economic regulation. Our economic regulation work is in sectors that include telecommunications, energy networks, transport fuel, the retail payment system, dairy, water, grocery and airports.

Our vision is that New Zealanders are better off because markets work well and consumers and businesses are confident market participants.

As an effective competition agency and regulator we also help to ensure:

• consumers are protected, and clear and accurate information is provided to them
• there is a level playing field for competitors – the rules are known and players are monitored
• competition in a market is not substantially lessened by the conduct of firms with substantial market power
• cartel behaviour is addressed
• the level of competition in a market is not substantially lessened by mergers or agreements between businesses
• poor, misleading or unbalanced information affecting competition in the market is addressed
• regulated entities face incentives to provide long-term benefits for consumers.

Competition is a key driver for delivering greater productivity and growth in the economy. It incentivises firms to innovate, and rewards efficiencies in business. Through regulation we seek to achieve comparable outcomes in markets with little or no competition.

The Commission is an Independent Crown Entity. This independence requires us to be an impartial promoter and enforcer of the law. We are primarily accountable to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs and the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications for our performance.