THE Parliamentary trade and industry committee approved on Monday amendments aimed at ensuring a smooth transition from old legislation to the Competition Act which was passed last year. Dave Lewis, chairman of the existing Competition Board, told the committee the changes are aimed at concerns that firms might try to push through mergers without proper scrutiny when the Competition Act comes into effect in the third quarter of this year. The Act will establish a new authority to regulate horizontal and vertical relations between firms, monitor abusive anti-competitive practices by dominant firms and control mergers. The should be approved by Parliament before the current session ends next week.