Singapore: Signed Competition Act including merger control regulation

On 4 November 2004, the President of Singapore signed the Competition Act, including provisions on merger control. The provisions governing merger control are found in Section 54 of the Competition Act and prohibit mergers that result, or are expected to result, in a substantial lessening of competition within any market in Singapore for goods and services. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has the power to assess whether a merger is anticompetitive by evaluating whether it leads to increased prices, lower quality, or fewer choices of products and services for consumers. If a merger is deemed to lessen competition substantially, it is considered anticompetitive and infringes the Competition Act. The Act does not include any notification requirements in case of a merger, but entities can notify the CCS for guidance or decision.