Speaker details

Biography

George K Lipimile: BA; LLB; MSc; Phd Dr. George K. Lipimile is the former Director and Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Competition Commission. He is a Lawyer and Economist by profession. Prior to being Director and Chief Executive Officer of COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission, he has held several senior portfolios with international and regional organisations. Dr. Lipimile was first Director and Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Competition Commission since its commencement of operations on January 14, 2013. Prior to that, he served as Senior Adviser at UNCTAD in the Division of Competition and Consumer Law Policy and established and became the first Executive Director of the Zambia Competition Commission from 1997 to 2008. Dr. Lipimile also worked as Head of the Zambia Intellectual Property Office and served as Chairperson of the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation for two terms. He has over 32 years of experience in competition law and policy enforcement at the national, regional and multilateral levels. He has conducted various consultancies on economic integration and the multilateral trade system for UN agencies, other international organisations and regional economic communities. His research and consultancy work extends to the areas of Trade Law, Intellectual Property Law, Competition and Consumer Laws. Wherever Dr. Lipimile has been called to serve either locally or internationally, he has established himself as an expert of Competition Law and has represented the Country with honour and pride. Internationally, he is known as a Chief Enforcer of competition law and a Formative Leader owing to his role in setting up different competition authorities around the world. His achievements include: (a) Legislation i) Drafted for COMESA, competition and consumer Rules and regulations. ii) Drafted legislation for Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Zambia. iii) Peer reviewed Kenyan legislation (b) Establish the following Competition Authorities He established COMESA Competition Commission (CCC) – using his own funds before COMESA Secretariate funded the Commission. ii) He established Competition and Fair-Trading Commission (CFTC) of Malawi. iii) He established the Zambia Competition Commission (ZCC) which later changed its name to Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). iv) He established the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) of Seychelles. v) He established the Competition Commission (COMCO) of the Democratic Republic of Congo. vi) He established the competition law merger control in Djibouti under COMESA