Experian Australia and New Zealand managing director Kim Jenkins dismissed suggestions that a joint venture Experian is leading, to form a new credit bureau service, would be anti-competitive.Experian, which has operated a decision analytics and marketing services business in Australia since 1998, announced last week that it had joined forces with six financial institutions to establish a consumer and business credit information service for Australian credit-providers.Experian will own 76 per cent of the new business, Experian Australia Credit Services, while ANZ, Citibank, Commonwealth Bank, GE Capital, National Australia Bank and Westpac will each own four per cent.The involvement of a group of financial institutions in a credit bureau operation raises questions about preferred treatment of shareholders, exclusive dealings and conflicts of interest.These are questions the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will address in its review of the formation of the joint venture. On Monday, it issued a notice to interested parties setting out issues for consideration. The ACCC has asked market participants to comment on the extent to which their businesses rely on the investors as sources of credit data. It also wants their views on the current level and nature of competition in the credit-reporting market.It wants to know the extent to which the proposed joint venture would lead to "significant foreclosure" of rival credit reporting agencies' access to credit data, and access to customers. Veda Advantage and Dun & Bradstreet are the established credit bureau businesses in Australia.Jenkins said she was confident the ACCC would accept that the joint venture was a pro-competitive step. "Our partners are in this joint venture to support competition," she said."There will be very strong Chinese walls. None of those institutions will be involved in the running of the business. There will be no preferential treatment on pricing, early product take-up or access to data. They will get the same treatment as any other client."We would expect them to continue to provide data to the rest of the market. And we will take data from the full spectrum - that is the only way you can have a comprehensive view of credit risk."Jenkins said Experian, which is a listed UK company and claims to be the biggest credit bureau operator in the world, is investing in Australia as part of an expansion into the Asia-Pacific region, where it sees strong potential for growth.It was also encouraged by the Australian Government's decision to overhaul the credit reporting section of the Privacy Act to allow for the introduction of comprehensive reporting.Comprehensive (or positive) credit reporting is expected to be introduced some time in 2012. "We have very strong experience in comprehensive reporting regimes," she said.Jenkins said Experian's competitive advantage would be in providing a diversified package of services. The decision analytics business provides software and consulting services that support funding and risk management operations. The marketing services business offers web optimisation and email marketing solutions. Experian also has a direct-to-consumer business, but this is not included in the current business plan.