The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC) is a technical entity with its own legal personality, lodged at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism. It has powers of inspection, supervision and control. It enjoys administrative, financial and budgetary autonomy, and issues decisions without approval from any superior body. The SIC is organised into six Deputy Superintendencies: (1) Competition Protection, (2) Consumer Protection, (3) Personal Data Protection, (4) Industrial Property, (5) Technical Regulation and Metrology, and (6) Judicial Affairs (which resolves private lawsuits involving unfair competition, industrial property, and consumer protection). Regarding competition protection, the SIC is designated by law as Colombia’s National Competition Authority. Its functions in this area are to investigate and sanction violations of the competition regime (abuses of dominance, anticompetitive agreements and acts, and unfair competition acts); resolve applications for the approval of mergers and acquisitions; opine on the competitive implications of proposed government regulations; and advise the government on competition policy generally. The Deputy Superintendence for Competition Protection is in charge of investigating alleged anticompetitive behaviours in all Colombian markets, regardless of the economic sector involved. The Office of the Superintendent is in charge of deciding these cases and imposing the corresponding fines and sanctions.