At the Ports Australia Conference in Melbourne, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims spoke about ensuring proper regulation of privatised port assets and noted some positive outcomes in the ACCC’s engagement with governments.
Mr Sims said the current preference of governments to implement price monitoring regimes fails to ensure there is an effective constraint on monopoly pricing at Australian ports.
ACCC Chairman Rod Sims delivers a keynote address at the Ports Australia Conference in Melbourne. Mr Sims says appropriate regulatory regimes should be in place before assets with monopoly characteristics are privatised. He explains this is best achieved through a negotiate-arbitrate framework. Mr Sims also talks about recent engagement with governments on port regulation and some positive outcomes achieved.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s has released its annual container stevedoring monitoring report, which highlights the improved performance of the industry.
Average stevedoring prices for the industry fell for the second consecutive year and, in real terms, are now at the lowest level recorded by the monitoring program.
“We are continuing to see benefits of increased competition in the stevedoring industry, with lower average prices, continued investment and reports of improved customer service,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
Speaking at the Gilbert + Tobin infrastructure workshop in Melbourne, ACCC Chairman Rod Sims calls for a return to the approach to regulation of monopoly infrastructure envisaged by the Hilmer Committee. Mr Sims also argues that it is wrong to suggest that we should not be concerned about high monopoly pricing of infrastructure because the result is only a pure transfer of economic rent. Mr Sims also refers to the ACCC’s work with Australian governments to highlight the importance of privatising assets to promote competition, rather than just the sale price.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has released its 16th annual container stevedoring monitoring report.
“Increased competition is delivering improvements in Australian stevedoring, which build on significant gains in the industry since the waterfront reforms of 1998. Cheaper imports and lower costs for exporters will see benefits flow through the economy,” ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said.
More efficient use of, and investment in, infrastructure is essential to improve national productivity, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman Rod Sims said today at the ACCC / AER Regulatory Conference in Brisbane.
“It is clear that recently in Australia some poor infrastructure investment decisions, by commission and omission, have harmed national productivity.”
Mr Sims said the annual conference is set to examine regulatory challenges and tackle questions about efficient infrastructure outcomes.
Chairman Rod Sims delivers the opening address to the ACCC / AER Regulatory Conference in Brisbane. Mr Sims introduces the conference theme and outlines the challenges of regulating for efficient infrastructure outcomes. The Chairman also proposes five areas of microeconomic reform covering privatisation, roads, congestion pricing, shipping and water.