Revised CCS Merger Procedure Guidelines in effect 1 May 2026

14 April 2026

On 27 March 2026, the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (“CCS”) issued a press release announcing that it has completed its review of proposed changes to the CCS Guidelines on Merger Procedures (“Guidelines”). The Guidelines provide guidance on notification and investigation procedures in cases involving mergers.

The revised Guidelines, together with consequential amendments to the CCS Guidelines on Directions and Remedies, will come into effect on 1 May 2026. They incorporate suggestions and feedback from merger procedure stakeholders gathered during a public consultation held between 27 October 2025 and 17 November 2025. The CCS press release notes that feedback received during the consultation was largely supportive of the changes. A summary of the feedback and CCS’s responses on the feedback received is available on the CCS website at www.ccs.gov.sg and is linked below.

Overview of amendments

The amendments to the Guidelines are intended to provide businesses with greater clarity on CCS’s procedures, while incorporating stakeholder feedback and reflecting both local and international regulatory developments.

These amendments include:

  • introducing a streamlined track that shortens CCS’s Phase 1 review period for mergers that are unlikely to raise competition concerns from 30 to 25 working days;
  • reducing the regulatory burden on merger parties and third parties when submitting information to CCS; and
  • providing merger parties with greater clarity at an earlier stage on whether or not CCS is likely to grant clearance.

Reference materials

The following materials are available on the CCS website www.ccs.gov.sg: