ACCC blocks Link Pillar bid

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has signalled that it will not allow Link Market Services to bid for the acquisition of Pillar Administration.

The chairman of the ACCC, Rod Sims said the competition regulator was concerned that the possible acquisition was likely to substantially lessen competition in the supply of superannuation administration services by entrenching Link's dominant position.

"The ACCC is concerned that the possible acquisition will remove the only alternative superannuation administration services provider with the demonstrated capacity to supply administration services to larger funds in competition with Link. Consequently, there would be one dominant administration provider facing limited competitive constraint in the outsourced market," Sims said.

"It would also remove the potential for an alternative owner to further invest in Pillar's offering and make it an even stronger competitor to Link in the future."

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The ACCC is seeking to better understand the barriers to entry or expansion and the likelihood of new entry or expansion in the sector. Other issues include the extent to which insourcing superannuation administration services is a credible constraint on Link and the likelihood of self-administered funds providing administration services to other funds.

"The ACCC's preliminary view is that a fund that currently outsources superannuation administration services is unlikely to switch to insourcing as a way of bypassing Link; it would be too costly and difficult," Sims said.

"The ACCC also considers that funds are unlikely to provide superannuation administration services to each other in a way that competitively constrains Link. It is beyond the remit of most funds to sell administration services, and, furthermore, many funds are likely to be reluctant to purchase administration services from their competitors."