Judicial body mooted to police State monopolies

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 33

Judicial body mooted to police State monopolies

PA Wellington The Government should consider setting up a judicial body to police abuses by State-owned enterprises which exploit their monopoly advantages, a Parliamentary select committee was told. The Major Electricity Users’. Group said such a move should be seen as a “last resort" if corporations were not sufficiently “transparent” in allowing their decisions; particular!’ over-pricing, to be open to public scrutiny. While approving of .the Government’s changes to

State trading organisations, the users’ group said it was not good enough to merely “mimic" a private enterprise environment The group, whose members include Tasman Pulp and Paper, N.Z. Forest Products, Winstone Industries, Wattle Industries and Carter Holt Harvey, was making a submission to. Parliament’s . Commerce and Marketing Committee on the State Enterprises Restructuring Bill. ; The legislation is aimed at limiting the dominance

of new State enterprises, such as the Electricity Corporation, through trying to establish a neutriil tradlng environment. The users’ ‘group, concerned about the curtailing of Ministerial responsibility over corporations, said a small, independent body should be set up which reported to Parliament The body would deal only with State-owned enterprises and "would relieve the responsibility of an already overburdened Commerce Commission."