1) Minister, in consultation with the Competition Commission, must determine-
a) a threshold of annual turnover, or assets, in the Republic, either in general or in relation to specific industries, below which this Part does not apply to a firm; and
b) a method for the calculation of annual turnover or assets to be applied in relation to that threshold.
2) The Minister may make a new determination in terms of subsection (1) in consultation with the Competition Commission.
3) Before making a determination contemplated in this section, the Minister, in consultation with the Competition Commission, must publish in the Gazette a notice
a) setting out the proposed threshold and method of calculation for purposes of this section; and
b) inviting written submissions on that proposal.
4) Within six months after publishing a notice in terms of subsection (3), the Minister, in consultation with the Competition Commission, must publish in the Gazette a notice—
a) setting out the threshold and method of calculation for purposes of this section; and
b) the effective date of that threshold.".