Organisation Summary

The Fijian Competition & Consumer Commission (FCCC) is an independent statutory body established under Section 7 of the FCCC Act 2010 that promotes effective competition and informed markets, encourages fair trading, protects consumers and businesses from restrictive practices, controls prices of regulated industries and other markets where competition is lessened or limited.

Purpose & Nature of Role

While reporting to the Manager Competition, the Senior Competition Economist will be the first line of reporting for officers in the Competition Department and primarily responsible for overseeing and managing competition department in line with the FCCC ACT 2010, Standard Operating Procedure and will be also responsible for achieving its stated objectives as per the FCCC Strategic Plan. The Senior Competition Economist will ensure that FCCC successfully administer the most paramount mandate which is the Vision of FCCC by strategizing procedures assuring market for goods and services are competitive in Fiji.

The Senior Competition Economist is responsible for leading advanced economic analysis and providing technical expertise in implementing mechanisms to ensure that the Competition Department specializes in enforcing the provisions entailed under Part Six (6) of the FCCC Act 2010.These provisions relate to illegitimate restrictive trade practices in Fiji, which are inclusive of, but not limited to, contracts, arrangements or understandings restricting dealings or affecting competition; contracts, arrangements or understandings in relation to prices; covenants affecting competition; covenants in relation to prices; and restrictions on conduct that hinders or prevents the supply of goods or services to others.The provisions also cover the prohibition of contracts, arrangements or understandings affecting the supply or acquisition of goods or services, misuse of market power, anti-competitive conduct, collective tendering, exclusive dealing, resale price maintenance, resale price maintenance in relation to services, price discrimination, and dominant mergers and acquisitions.

Reporting to the Manager Competition, the role provides independent economic analysis and applies economic theory, empirical methodologies, and quantitative tools to assess competitive effects, evaluate market dynamics, and support enforcement decisions under Part 6 of the FCCC Act 2010.

Key Results Areas (KRAs)

• Build and strengthen the economic analytical capability within the Competition Department to ensure that investigations, assessments, and studies are supported by robust economic reasoning and quantitative analysis.

• Develop and implement economic methodologies and analytical frameworks that enhance the evaluation of restrictive trade practices, mergers and acquisitions, and other competition matters in accordance with the FCCC Act 2010.
• Undertake economic evaluation of Fijian markets through surveillance activities to identify potential competition concerns including contracts or arrangements affecting competition, misuse of market power, price discrimination, exclusive dealing, resale price maintenance, and other anti-competitive conduct.
• Conduct comprehensive economic analysis within investigations, market assessments, and market studies, ensuring that findings are supported by economic theory, empirical data, and market evidence.
• Support and enhance competition enforcement by integrating economic models, data analysis techniques, and international best practices into FCCC processes.
• Provide technical economic guidance to officers within the Competition Department and assist in building institutional capacity through mentoring and training initiatives.
• Oversee and contribute to the development, assessment, and implementation of competition remedies, undertakings, and commitments proposed by parties in relation to competition matters, including restrictive trade practices and merger and acquisition transactions. This includes evaluating the effectiveness, proportionality, and enforceability of behavioural and structural remedies through economic analysis to ensure that identified competition concerns are adequately addressed and market competition is restored or preserved.
• Strengthen the quality assurance and technical validation of financial and quantitative analysis within competition investigations, merger assessments, and market studies by providing economic oversight and verification of analytical outputs prepared by Competition Analysts or Officers.
• Develop and maintain economic frameworks and analytical methodologies for the assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of undertakings and remedies to ensure that commitments are capable of delivering pro-competitive outcomes and mitigating identified theories of harm.
• Contribute towards the development, review, and enhancement of competition guidelines, policy documents, and analytical frameworks by incorporating economic principles and international best practices to support consistent and transparent regulatory decision-making.
• Provide ongoing economic oversight in monitoring compliance with undertakings and remedies, including assessing market outcomes, analysing pricing behaviour, and evaluating whether remedial measures remain effective in achieving intended competition outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop mechanisms incorporating economic analysis frameworks, methodologies, and analytical tools to support effective enforcement of competition law and ensure that market assessments and investigations are grounded in sound economic principles.
• Ensure continuous evaluation and improvement of economic methodologies used within FCCC to accommodate evolving market conditions, regulatory developments, and international best practices.
• Conduct economic assessment of restrictive trade practices including but not limited to contracts, arrangements or understandings restricting dealings or affecting competition, agreements relating to prices, covenants affecting competition, conduct that prevents or restricts supply of goods or services, misuse of market power, anti-competitive agreements, collective tendering, exclusive dealing, resale price maintenance, price discrimination, and dominant mergers and acquisitions.
• During investigations, undertake economic evaluation including the development of analytical frameworks, identification of competitive theories of harm, analysis of pricing behaviour, assessment of market structure and dynamics, evaluation of barriers to entry, and examination of consumer welfare impacts.
• Perform market assessments across various sectors incorporating economic analysis such as market definition, calculation of market shares using tools such as HHI, evaluation of substitutability, assessment of competitive constraints, and analysis of potential competitive effects arising from business conduct.
• Undertake economic analysis during market studies by contributing to the development of terms of reference, issue statements, analytical frameworks, stakeholder engagement strategies, data collection methodologies, and preparation of economic findings and recommendations.
• Identify proposed merger and acquisition transactions in Fiji and provide economic assessment in accordance with statutory requirements, including analysis of market concentration, unilateral and coordinated effects, vertical integration risks, countervailing power, and potential efficiencies.

Qualification

Applicants should possess a Postgraduate in Economics, or Competition Economics, Accounting, Finance, Law, or a related discipline, Master's  in Economics or Competition Economics will be an added advantage.

Knowledge and Experience

Refer attached JD - Senior Competition Economist.pdf