Some Coffee Traders In Armenia Fined For Unfair Competition
03.12.2011,
04:12
Armenia’s State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition has fined some economic entities doing business in coffee market for unfair competition.
YEREVAN, December 2. /ARKA/. Armenia’s State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition has fined some economic entities doing business in coffee market for unfair competition, Gayane Sahakyan, press secretary of the commission, told ARKA News Agency on Friday.
In particular, the antitrust commission has bought samples of varieties of coffee in large trade outlets and sent them to laboratories for examination.
Instead of the 100% high-quality coffee claimed on labels products contained a great deal of starch-containing substances.
The antitrust agency’s press office said that Ferro (trading as Ferro), Valletta (Premier), Byurakn (Pyramid Elite) Vans Group (Star) and Ascolio (Marseilles) sell shoddy products instead of high-quality coffee claimed on labels.
The commission said that these companies are at an advantage over fair players, since thanks to substitutes for coffee they can afford to sell their products at far lower prices in a clear breach of the law.
Each wrongdoer company was fined AMD 5 million.
In some cases substitutes have not been found, but instead shoddy products absolutely not fit for consumption were found under false labels.
Unlike consumers in European countries and Russia, where content of caffeine is clearly stated on labels, consumers in Armenia have absolutely no idea about what coffee they buy.
This problem is not solved in Armenia so far, and many economic entities deceive consumers.
The commission recommends them to refrain from such style of doing business and warned them against repetition. Otherwise, stricter sanctions will be imposed on them.
“The whole package of the found abuses will be sent to the state food safety agency affiliated to the agriculture ministry, since obvious falsification took place,” the press release says. –0—
In particular, the antitrust commission has bought samples of varieties of coffee in large trade outlets and sent them to laboratories for examination.
Instead of the 100% high-quality coffee claimed on labels products contained a great deal of starch-containing substances.
The antitrust agency’s press office said that Ferro (trading as Ferro), Valletta (Premier), Byurakn (Pyramid Elite) Vans Group (Star) and Ascolio (Marseilles) sell shoddy products instead of high-quality coffee claimed on labels.
The commission said that these companies are at an advantage over fair players, since thanks to substitutes for coffee they can afford to sell their products at far lower prices in a clear breach of the law.
Each wrongdoer company was fined AMD 5 million.
In some cases substitutes have not been found, but instead shoddy products absolutely not fit for consumption were found under false labels.
Unlike consumers in European countries and Russia, where content of caffeine is clearly stated on labels, consumers in Armenia have absolutely no idea about what coffee they buy.
This problem is not solved in Armenia so far, and many economic entities deceive consumers.
The commission recommends them to refrain from such style of doing business and warned them against repetition. Otherwise, stricter sanctions will be imposed on them.
“The whole package of the found abuses will be sent to the state food safety agency affiliated to the agriculture ministry, since obvious falsification took place,” the press release says. –0—
