Latest news with #Rs10mn
Business Recorder
11 hours ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
CCP decides 223 cases, slashes legal backlog by over 40%
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) made significant progress in reducing its legal backlog and recovering penalties, as 223 cases have been decided, cutting the backlog by more than 40%. 'When the new management took charge in August 2023, the CCP faced 567 pending cases across different courts,' the CCP said in a statement on Wednesday. It said that the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) decided 121 cases out of 210, bringing down pendency by 58%. The Supreme Court decided 11 cases, while 171 cases challenging the CCP's mandate were clubbed for a single hearing. CCP says recovered Rs10mn penalty from PIA for 'abusing dominant position' The Lahore High Court decided 39 cases, reducing the backlog by 78%, while the Sindh High Court disposed of 40 cases, a 61% cut. Similarly, the Islamabad High Court decided 13 cases, lowering pendency by 43%. According to the statement, the resolution of cases has enabled the CCP to recover imposed penalties, and in the past year alone, the commission recovered Rs360 million, surpassing the total Rs201 million collected since its establishment in 2007. One of the landmark judgments was delivered by the SC in the Dalda Foods vs CCP case, which strengthened the CCP's enforcement capacity. Similarly, in a case on alleged cartelization in the poultry sector, the Lahore High Court upheld CCP's authority to pursue investigations into price-fixing, the CCP said.
Business Recorder
07-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
FY2024-25: CCP ramps up enforcement against cartels, deceptive marketing
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) undertook robust enforcement measures in FY 2024–25, targeting cartelisation, abuse of dominant position, and deceptive marketing practices to ensure fair business practices in markets, a CCP statement read on Monday. As per the details, the commission initiated 24 new inquiries—11 related to cartelisation and 13 concerning deceptive marketing practices. 'It successfully concluded 14 investigations, which were forwarded for the adjudication process. The sectors under scrutiny included e-commerce, telecommunications, aviation, steel, transport, edible ghee and cooking oil, pharmaceuticals, construction, commodities, and education. Two firms found guilty of Rs1.13bn anti-competitive pact in pharmaceutical sector 'The Cartel and Trade Abuse Department of the CCP, in its efforts to curb cartelisation and market manipulation, initiated 11 new inquiries across various sectors, including e-commerce, telecommunications, aviation, steel, transport, edible ghee, cooking oil, and gas,' the statement read. In addition, the CCP said, ongoing inquiries from previous periods were also under investigation. 'The department successfully concluded 9 inquiries, which were subsequently forwarded for adjudication.' A key case involved ten steel structure suppliers allegedly engaged in bid rigging in tenders issued by power distribution companies (DISCOs). Another major case focused on two leading flat steel manufacturers accused of price fixing, according to the statement. In the transport sector, proceedings were initiated against the Transporters Goods Association (TGA) and the Local Goods Transport Association (LGTA) for allegedly fixing freight rates for cargo transport from Port Qasim. In the cables industry, companies were investigated for restricting their dealers from offering discounts below the notified prices—an act considered a prohibited agreement under Resale Price Maintenance (RPM). 'The CCP's Office of Fair Trade (OFT) initiated 13 new investigations against businesses involved in deceptive marketing practices. Additionally, 8 inquiries from the previous year remained ongoing. 'OFT successfully concluded five investigations—two in the pharmaceutical sector and one each in the construction, commodities, and education sectors,' the CCP said. CCP says recovered Rs10mn penalty from PIA for 'abusing dominant position' The commission further said notable cases of deceptive marketing had included AR Amreli Builders for unauthorised use of Amreli Steels' trademark, Panther Tyres for allegedly misleading claims of being 'Pakistan's No. 1 Tyre,' and FS Cosmetics for copying Dabur Amla Hair Oil's packaging— for making what it called misleading claims. Chairman CCP, Dr Kabir Sidhu, was quoted as saying in the statement that cartelisation, market manipulation through abuse of dominance, and deceptive marketing severely harm consumer rights and distort healthy competition. He emphasised that the CCP maintains zero tolerance for such practices and is committed to taking strict action against them.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
‘False fuel saving claim': CCP imposes Rs40mn penalty on Al-Ghazi Tractors
The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has imposed a penalty of Rs40 million on Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited (AGTL) for 'violating competition law and misguiding consumers', a statement from the CCP said on Tuesday. In January 2022, AGTL ran a front-page ad in an Urdu newspaper, claiming its new Holland tractor models offered 'up to 30% extra diesel savings compared to any competitor's tractors.' The ad cited a report by the Agricultural Mechanisation Research Institute (AMRI), Multan as basis of its claim. CCP says recovered Rs10mn penalty from PIA for 'abusing dominant position' 'Farmers across Pakistan, especially small landholders often make purchasing decisions based on savings and efficiency. For them, a claim like 'up to 30% extra diesel savings' can mean the difference between affordability and hardship. 'But this claim, made by Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited in a newspaper ad, has now been declared false and misleading by the Competition Commission of Pakistan. The bench comprising Dr Kabir Ahmed, the Chairman CCP and Mr Salman Amin (Member) has imposed a penalty of PKR 40 million on AGTL for violating competition law and misguiding consumers,' the CCP statement read. According to the CCP, it found that AMRI had not issued any report supporting the claim. 'In fact, AMRI had warned AGTL to stop using its name for false claim and to retract the advertisement.' The AMRI report, which AGTL selectively quoted, only tested tractors from two manufacturers—AGTL and one competitor, the CCP said. 'It did not provide market-wide fuel efficiency comparisons. AMRI also emphasised that its report contained general energy-saving tips, not certification of any tractor model's performance.'
