The concentration of economic and political power: a priority for competition law and policy in developing countries?

By Amine Mansour*

In the literature dealing with competition law and policy in developing countries, there appears to be a consensus according to which competition law cannot contribute to development unless it wins its battle against what is called the concentration of economic and political power.

Before getting into more details, the idea of concentration of economic and political power deserves some words. The concept in itself is not clear. The idea can be understood either as the collusion between the economic and the political powers leading to a concentration of the two or as the holding of both powers by the same person(s) at the same time. Of course, the concentration can be in reality more complex and subtle than what was described and consist of a mix of the two forms. Regardless of the view one may have on the understanding of the concept, it’s less important to…