The purpose of this chapter is to protect the public and policyholders against the effects of excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory rates by promoting price competition among insurers. The provisions in this chapter are intended to prohibit unlawful price fixing agreements by or among insurers and to authorize essential cooperative activities among insurers in the rate making process and to regulate these activities to prohibit practices that tend to substantially lessen competition or create monopolies. This chapter shall be liberally interpreted to carry into effect the provisions of this section.