The FAS has found large-scale drug cartel on the market – RBC

Photo: DPA / TASS

Competition authority has found signs of the cartel’s existence, whose members are not allowed to reduce the price of drugs supplied to hospitals. Several companies have already issued fines

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has begun an investigation of the potential of the cartel, whose members, according to the agency, helping each other to maintain the prices of medicines and medical equipment provided to state and municipal hospitals almost the entire territory of Russia, noted in FAS.

Symptoms of FAS anti-competitive agreement found during more than 700 auctions. FAS suspects to participate in the cartel companies such as OOO « Rosmedkomplekt », LLC “Etalon – Trading », LLC “Market Farm »et al., according to the agency. Reducing the initial maximum price of the contract for the supply of medicines and medizdely to clinics and hospitals at the participation of these companies in the procurement of absent or minimal: from 0.5% to 2%), reported the FAS

Despite the presence of “overt features. conspiracy “, allegations of violation of the legislation on health care in these cases have been reported , the chief cartel Office of the FAS Andrew Tenishev . « No other industry today is not subject to such a massive influence anticompetitive practices”, – he added

The deputy head of the antimonopoly authority Andrei Tsarikovsky in. turn, called the identification and elimination of cartels operating in a socially important field of health, a priority of the FAS. According to the deputy chairman of FAS, such collusion lead to an increase in prices for medicines and medical services, which directly damages the budget and individual citizens.

 

FAS filed a case of claim 2 Part 1 Article 11 of the Law “On Protection of Competition” prohibits agreements between economic entities-competitors, which could lead to an increase, decrease or keeping prices at auction. Some of the companies in respect of which a criminal case, had previously been found guilty of violating competition laws, said the FAS. In particular, « Rosmedkomplekt » has been fined more than 12.9 million rubles, “Etalon – Trading » -. More than 4 4 mln., and fines to two other members of the cartel to be appointed in the near future.

at the beginning of August 2016 the FAS has announced on the disclosure of the mass Russia’s cartel uniting the bidders for the supply of “ware property” for the needs of the Interior Ministry, FSB and customs authorities.