(3minutes read)
- The Mozambican government dismissed Julio Joao Pio as chairperson of the Competition Regulatory Authority (ARC)
- Earlier to holding this post, Pio was Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade
- The government has appointed Iacumba Ali Aiuba to replace Pio
The Mozambican government dismissed Julio Joao Pio as chairperson of the Competition Regulatory Authority (ARC). Earlier to holding this post, Pio was Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade. The ARC, which he headed was supposed to act against practices that restrict competition, such as formation of cartels, and to stop any company from abusing a dominant position in the market.
But, insiders say, Pio could not do neither of the two. The cement companies complain that the Chinese-owned Dugongo Cimento, was driving its competitors out of the market by charging extremely low prices. The second was the cutthroat competition between the country’s three mobile phone companies, TMcel, Vodacom and Movitel, which led the telecommunications regulatory body, the INCM (Mozambique National Institute of Communications), to ban various types of bonuses these companies offer to their subscribers.
In neither case did Pio, or the ARC, say anything in public. The government has appointed Iacumba Ali Aiuba to replace Pio. Aiuba was once Coordinator of the Commission on Economic Affairs and Tariffs on the National Electricity Council, and in July 2014 he was appointed chief executive officer of Mozambique Airlines (LAM), a post he held until 2016.
