The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP)’s teams have searched the premises of two companies as part of an ongoing enquiry to investigate the violations of Sections 3 ‘Abuse of Dominance’ and Section 4 ‘Prohibited Agreement’ (Cartelization) of the Competition Act, 2010 in the glass industry on suspicion of their involvement in anti-competitive practices.
The enquiry has been started upon receiving various concerns that the two undertakings were collectively deciding the pricing of float glass and utilization of their production capacities. Float glass is mainly used in the construction sector for manufacturing windows. It can also be used for tables and shelves.
CCP’s analysis of data from 2019 to 2021 showed that for float glass of varying thicknesses, the prices of both companies were similar. The date of price increases and quantum of increase was also the same. CCP also came to know from market sources that both companies were suspiciously coordinating their prices and production quantities.
During the investigation, market surveys were conducted wherein it was informed that both undertakings were in collusion for fixing and maintaining uniform prices and increasing prices in a coordinated manner at the same time.
Any sort of coordination or agreement between competing undertakings to fix prices and supply in the market is classified as prohibited under Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010. Since cartels are secretive, Section 34 of the law empowers CCP to enter and search the premises to uncover evidence of collusive activities. Therefore, two teams of duly authorized officers of the CCP simultaneously entered and searched the premises of the respective companies and seized pertinent records.
The two companies cooperated with the CCP’s search teams in handing over the documents and computer-stored information relating to the possible role of the respective undertakings in the alleged anti-competitive activities. Therefore, the need for forcible entry under section 35 of the Act did not arise.
The CCP is mandated under the Act to ensure free competition in all spheres of commercial and economic activity, enhance economic efficiency, and protect consumers from anti-competitive practices including fixation of prices of various goods and services.