1. Press Release C. 35-10
th
El Salvador, December 13 , 2010.
Competition Advocacy
CS Will Launch Reports of Competition Studies
The Competition Superintendence (CS) will launch its “Reports of Sector Studies on
Competition Conditions”, which contain the competition studies carried out by said
institution since 2006 until 2010 in 12 sectors of the country´s economy.
“These reports comprise In order to promote competition, the CS will launch today its “Reports of
Sector Studies on Competition Conditions” which contain the competition
sector studies on studies the institution has carried out in 12 sectors of the country´s
competition conditions economy since 2006. These reports will be distributed to libraries,
that the CS carried out associations, schools, colleges, universities, amongst others, to be
since 2006 in 12 sectors consulted.
fundamental for the
The aforementioned studies have structured into four books. The first one
country´s economy. The contains the studies of the agricultural and inputs sector, including the
CS makes these results studies of the following industries: poultry (chickens and eggs), sugar, rice,
available for all economic milk, cheeses, and fertilizers. The second book comprises the studies of
agents, associations, the energy sector: liquid fuels, electricity, and liquid petroleum gas. The
third book contains the studies of the services sector: telecommunications
schools, colleges,
and road freight transport. The fourth and last volume contains the two
universities, amongst studies conducted on the pharmaceuticals sector.
others, to be consulted in
order to promote Said sectors were studied due to the fact that they are fundamental for the
competition in the country´s economic and social development, since they create thousands of
jobs and massively generate goods and services. As a result of these
country”, informed Jose
studies the CS has issued 72 public policy recommendations to 11 public
Enrique Sorto, Alternate institutions. Some of these institutions are: Ministry of Economy, Ministry of
Competition the Treasury, General Superintendence of Electricity and
Telecommunications, Consumer Protection Authority, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance,
amongst others
The follow-up of the recommendations issued as a result of the aforementioned studies has a great potential
in obtaining considerable benefits in the sectors´ performance, generating more economic efficiency and
consumer welfare.
About the Sector Studies on Competition Conditions
The purpose of the above cited studies is to determine the competition conditions in which the markets
function, by means of an analysis of their composition, participants, supply and demand evolution, associated
price and cost analysis, applicable legal framework, amongst others, in order to diagnose and propose the
necessary measures to strengthen and improve the sector´s competition conditions, if that were the case.

2. In order to carry out these studies, various economic agents cooperated with the CS, amongst them: big and
small importers, manufactures, industrials, commercializers, and distributors, as well as regulators,
Secretaries of State, Municipalities, associations, international organisms, amongst others. Said economic
agents provided the CS with legal, economic, financial, and commercial information which is necessary for the
conduction of the studies.
About the Recommendations Issued as a Result of the Studies
The CS has created a methodology to follow up the implementation of the recommendations issued as result
of the sector studies based on the international best practices. Initially the CS has focused these efforts in the
rice, sugar, milk, and telecommunications sectors.
Certain high ranking public officials whose institutions received the aforementioned recommendations have
rendered reports to the CS on their adoption. In some cases interinstitutional teams have been formed to
analyze said recommendations and the best way to implement them.
Competition culture has been consolidated on the studied sectors, amongst economic agents from both the
private and the public sectors. In other cases, the recommendations have been useful to detect elements of
the existence of anticompetitive practices, having initiated the pertinent investigations.
The CS continues its work promoting competition in fundamental sectors for the country. The studies currently
in progress are: iron and steel, credit and debit cards, insurances, and edible oils and lards.
Background
Within its 2006-2010 Operational Plan, the CS included the execution of various studies on the competition
conditions of different sectors of the Salvadoran economic activity. To this date, the CS has conducted the
following studies:
Agricultural and inputs sector Year
Poultry (chickens and eggs) 2007
Sugar 2008
Fertilizers 2009
Rice 2009
Milk 2009
Cheeses 2010
Energy
Liquid Fuels 2006
Electricity 2007
Liquid Petroleum Gas 2008
Services
Road Transport 2006
Telecommunications 2008
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals part I 2007
Pharmaceuticals part II 2008