HK's Competition Commission staff quit amid fight for change

Hong Kong

IT TOOK 10 years of talks for Hong Kong to pass an antitrust law. But about 18 months after it took effect, the city's Competition Commission has seen multiple senior departures as it battles to change a culture of price controls and quasi-legal cartels.

Since it started hiring in 2014, the regulator is on its third chief economist, seen its executive director for operations and its general counsel leave, and in September will welcome its third chief executive. Rank and file employees have also departed, a former staffer said.

While agency officials said that staff turnover is common at a new regulator and point to actions that they have taken to enforce the new rules, the exits add to the demands facing incoming head Brent Snyder. The former US Justice Department prosecutor will not only be expected to tack…