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Why was Khalid Mirza sacked, and reinstated?
http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=24349
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Comment
By Farrukh Saleem
ISLAMABAD: The president of Pakistan promulgated Ordinance No LII of 2007 on October 2, 2007 in order to provide free competition in all spheres of commercial and economic activity to enhance economic efficiency and to protect consumers from anti-competitive behaviour.
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) was thus established with the aim of providing a legal framework to create a business environment based on healthy competition towards improving economic efficiency, developing competitiveness and protecting consumers from anti-competitive practices.
On April 29, 2009, under the chairmanship of Khalid A Mirza, the Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation was served a show-cause notice by the CCP under Section 30 of the Competition Ordinance for prima facie abusing its dominant position by refusing to deal with purchasers in relation to low carbon steel billets. The last hearing took place on May 15, 2009.
On August 17, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani went to the Office of Auditor General of Pakistan and told him that we are ready to extend all kind of support to him as we believe in strong institutions. Lo and behold, within 3 weeks of the PMs visit, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) revealed that Pakistan Steel Mills sustained a revenue loss of Rs 9.672 billion in just one year merely because the management fixed its sale price below the market price.
Why was Khalid Mirza sacked? On December 24, 2007, the CCP issued a show-cause notice to Pakistan Banks Association for violating, prima facie, Section 4(1) read with Section 4(2) (a), (c) and (f) of the ordinance.
Why was Khalid Mirza sacked? The CCP issued a policy advisory for the Ministry of Industries and Production against the price fixing agreement between the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and the Ministry.
Its all about public money and private greed. Its all about consumer rip-off on an unprecedented scale. First came the oil companies cartel, then the banking cartel, the cement cartel, the automobile cartel, the stockbrokers cartel and the sugar cartel. Its about cartels versus 180 million consumers and cartels are winning. Ever wondered why prosperity is not trickling down? Answer: the cartels have kept all the prosperity to themselves. Where will it all end?
On September 5, after a major hue and cry over his sacking, Prime Minister Gilani acted promptly and swiftly to reinstate Mirza to his position, in the interest of his own image of a PM in command.
