JAPAN'S ANTI-MONOPOLY LAW SCALED BACK.

AsiaPulse News, October, 2004

TOKYO, Oct 6 Asia Pulse - The proposed revisions to the Anti-Monopoly Law reflect a compromise between the Fair Trade Commission, which is seeking stiffer penalties, and the ruling parties, potentially undermining the law's ability to curb collusive corporate behavior.

The revised legislation is expected to be submitted and passed during the extraordinary Diet session beginning Oct. 12. The fine imposed on large manufacturers found to have violated the Anti-Monopoly Law, for instance, would be raised to 10 per cent of sales generated by the illegal activity, up from the current 6 per cent.

While the Liberal Democratic Party's Anti-Monopoly Law committee approved the proposal Tuesday, a meeting on Friday had been turbulent. Seeing that the FTC's...