Commission Chief Investigator seconded to Commonwealth Secretariat to set up Zimbabwe competition law agency
Published19 Jul 2000
The Commerce Commission's Chief Investigator Business Acquisitions, John Preston, has been seconded to the Commonwealth Secretariat for a year to establish a competition law agency in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has passed competition law similar to New Zealand's Commerce Act and legislation in Australia, North America and, increasingly, Asia. Mr Preston's job will be to build the Industry and Trade Competition Commission to enforce that legislation.
Commerce Commission Chair John Belgrave said that the appointment is a credit to Mr Preston and his considerable experience in competition law and international relations, and his proven ability to handle difficult assignments.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Mr Preston was with what was then known as the New Zealand Overseas Service. He worked in Tokyo, Vienna, Baghdad where he was Charges d'affaires, and Melbourne where he was Consul General. He has been with the Commerce Commission since 1989, and has been its Chief Investigator Business Acquisitions since 1991. He has qualifications in economics, accountancy and international relations. Mr Preston also has an MBA and has undertaken post-graduate law study.
In Zimbabwe he will be based in Harare and will work with the Permanent Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Commerce, but will be responsible to the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.
His work will involve planning the structure of the Industry and Trade Competition Commission, determining its enforcement priorities, developing its investigation, analysis and decision making processes, and organising the recruitment and training of its staff.
The development of competition law in Zimbabwe is very much in line with the global trend towards broad-based competition law, which applies to most or all of an economy, rather than relying on more ad hoc industry regulation.
Zimbabwe has a considerable private sector economy with, in particular, large mining and manufacturing operations.
While Mr Preston is in Zimbabwe, Osmond Borthwick will be the Commerce Commission's Chief Investigator Business Acquisitions.
Background
The Chief Investigator Business Acquisitions leads the team of Investigators that carries out surveillance of, and where necessary investigates, business acquisitions of which the Commission is not notified. They also investigate applications for clearances of business acquisitions.
