ECONOMIC ENTITIES OPERATING IN BUTTER AND VEGETABLE OIL MARKETS DISPUTE DECISION OF RA COMMISSION ON PROTECTION OF ECONOMIC COMPETITION
Noyan Tapan
Dec 12 2007
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. About 16 companies operating in
the butter and vegetable oil markets dispute the October 19 decision
of the RA Commission on Protection of Economic Competition. By the
decision, each of the companies was fined in the amount of 2% of the
previous year’s revenues (but not in the amount exceeding 300 million
drams or about 983 USD) for the unfounded rise in sale prices as a
result of the anticompetition agreement reached by about 50 economic
entities operating in the butter and vegetable oil markets.
At the December 12 sitting of the commission, lawyer of Armen Os
company Bagrat Vardanian said that their company neither sold butter
in the market nor gave it to re-sellers but it sold butter to Tamara
ice-cream producing company. The remaining 19.5 thousand tons of
butter was stored in the company’s warehouse for own production of
confectionery. However, according to the commission’s representative,
the company also sold butter, and the complaint of Armen OS was
rejected based on this fact. The commission also rejected the
complaints of the other companies, except one, whose hearing was
postponed.
By the way, all the companies that have filed complaints claim they
either did not import vegetable oil and butter or did not sell these
products in August-September, while in case of selling, they did not
raise prices of butter and vegetable oil.