Regulatory Measures Over Super Apps that May Stifle Competition and Consumer Welfare
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns whether the Ministry of Trade and Industry is considering additional regulatory measures over "super apps" following Grab's acquisition of Chope, as raised by Mr Saktiandi Supaat. Minister Gan Kim Yong responded that a 2020 study found no specific competition concerns because super apps still face competition from specialized market providers. He noted that the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore has updated its guidelines to provide clearer assessments of potential anti-competitive behavior by digital platforms. These measures are complemented by the Standard Dispute Management Framework for e-Marketplaces, which promotes fair trading and assists consumers with timely dispute resolution. The Government will continue to monitor the e-commerce domain to evaluate if further reviews are necessary to safeguard competition and consumer welfare.
Transcript
2 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry is considering additional regulatory or supervisory measures over "super apps" that may stifle competition and consumer welfare, in light of Grab's latest acquisition of Singapore-based dining reservation platform Chope.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) conducted a study of digital platforms in 2020, including those that integrate multiple products and services addressing different market segments within the same app1.CCCS did not observe specific competition concerns in relation to such "super apps", as such apps are still subject to competition from the specialised providers within each market segment that they operate in. Therefore, consumers continue to have a choice and can access different providers for specific products or services.
CCCS has also updated its competition guidelines to provide clearer guidance to digital platforms and “super apps” on how Singapore’s competition laws apply to them. For example, CCCS has set out how it will assess whether a digital platform or “super apps” may be engaging in anti-competitive behaviour.
These efforts are complemented by initiatives such as the Standard Dispute Management Framework for e-Marketplaces by the Consumers Association of Singapore, to encourage fair trading in digital markets and support customers in timely dispute resolution.
The Government will continue to monitor developments in the e-commerce domain and assess if further reviews are required.