Chairperson, I think that there is a lot of support for this initiative. Just to reiterate, we are really not overhauling the legislation, we are strengthening it. We are doing that on the basis of the experiences that we have had. One of those experiences is the experience of continued conduct that has been found to be anticompetitive. Therefore the need to strengthen the hand of the state and the hand of the competition authorities is part of what we are trying to do with this legislation. I think that that is the context in which even the introduction of personal liability must be seen.
The nervousness that exists about whether this personal liability might undermine the corporate leniency programme is maybe fear of something that may not materialise at all. We do believe that at one level the deterring effect of the existence of possible criminal sanctions is something that is important to have in legislation, so that those that have not yet embarked on this kind of activity don't do so. But with regard to those who have done so, we also do believe that it's something that would encourage them to be forthcoming and to be more truthful to the competition authorities, and doing so in a manner that may or would guarantee their own freedom, if I may put it like that.
But I think it's also important from another angle. The private sector often does need a stick. One could cite experience in a number of areas where you often have to turn to something of a stick or the potential of a stick in order to get the private sector to behave in a particular way. So, I think that we should do this because these are things that have been thought through. These are things that we are doing on the basis of experiences that we have had. We have studied what happens in other jurisdictions. We have looked at trends globally. So we have tried to come up with as balanced an approach as possible.
I don't know how the hon Turok missed it. But with regard to the reference he made to directors, our understanding is that this is aimed at officers of a company and directors who cause a company to be involved in cartel activities. So I think your concern is taken care of. I agree with the hon member who said that the co-ordination between state institutions is going to be vital in order to ensure the effect of this legislation. Thank you very much, Chair.
Debate concluded.
Bill read a second time.