May 22, 2024
Japan Fair Trade Commission
(Implementation of Factory Visits and Round-table Discussions by Commissioners)
Today, I would like to talk about the implementation of factory visits and round-table discussions by commissioners and the Secretary General.
In addition to strict and swift enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act (AMA), the JFTC is vigorously engaged in public relations and public hearing activities to disseminate the AMA and competition policy philosophies. As part of these public hearing activities, we directly visit the factories and other facilities of business operators to meet with them.
In recent years, the government has placed a significant focus on achieving a fair price pass-through for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, with costs such as raw material, labor, and energy costs rising, efforts to achieve a fair price pass- through have become even more important. This requires more accurate understanding of the situation in which the business operator is placed.
In light of these concerns, the JFTC engages in two key activities: (1) soliciting opinions and requests from AMA Policy Cooperation Committee members across Japan, and (2) conducting visits to major cities throughout Japan to engage with local experts. In addition to the public hearings, we also take advantage of opportunities to visit various locations to gain a better understanding of actual business activities. These visits include factories and other facilities of local business operators, allowing us to experience firsthand the reality of business activities and to hear “real voices” from them in order to better understand the environment surrounding the business operators.
In FY2024, we will visit business operators’ factories and hold meetings at nine locations throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. This will enable us to hear directly the “real voices” of business operators.
The JFTC will continue to engage in public relations and public hearing activities, carefully consider the opinions and requests of local business operators, and incorporate them into our competition policy to ensure fair and free competition.
（Tentative translation）
Today, I would like to talk about the implementation of factory visits and round-table discussions by commissioners and the Secretary General.
In addition to strict and swift enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act (AMA), the JFTC is vigorously engaged in public relations and public hearing activities to disseminate the AMA and competition policy philosophies. As part of these public hearing activities, we directly visit the factories and other facilities of business operators to meet with them.
In recent years, the government has placed a significant focus on achieving a fair price pass-through for small and medium-sized enterprises. However, with costs such as raw material, labor, and energy costs rising, efforts to achieve a fair price pass- through have become even more important. This requires more accurate understanding of the situation in which the business operator is placed.
In light of these concerns, the JFTC engages in two key activities: (1) soliciting opinions and requests from AMA Policy Cooperation Committee members across Japan, and (2) conducting visits to major cities throughout Japan to engage with local experts. In addition to the public hearings, we also take advantage of opportunities to visit various locations to gain a better understanding of actual business activities. These visits include factories and other facilities of local business operators, allowing us to experience firsthand the reality of business activities and to hear “real voices” from them in order to better understand the environment surrounding the business operators.
In FY2024, we will visit business operators’ factories and hold meetings at nine locations throughout Japan, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. This will enable us to hear directly the “real voices” of business operators.
The JFTC will continue to engage in public relations and public hearing activities, carefully consider the opinions and requests of local business operators, and incorporate them into our competition policy to ensure fair and free competition.
（Tentative translation）
