Expert: Armenia’s antitrust commission should tighten grip upon monopolies
14.12.2011,
01:50
Armenia’s State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition should tighten grip on monopolies to bar them from raising prices.
YEREVAN, December 13. /ARKA/. Armenia’s State Commission for Protection of Economic Competition should tighten grip on monopolies to bar them from raising prices.
“We have been repeatedly told that the struggle against monopolies and the regulation of prices are different institutions’ objectives,” Armen Poghosyan, chairman of the Association of Armenian Consumers, said on Tuesday.
He told journalists that the antitrust agency should monitor food markets to see whether prices are in tune with state standards or not.
Very often, he said, consumers have to buy sugar with excessive content of humidity, low-quality bread and coffee with extremely low content of caffeine.
“Consumers can’t compare what is written on packs with the real composition of products while the state commission is able to do it,” Poghosyan said. “Parameters and prices indicated in invoices must correspond to prices set for sale.”
On December 2, five economic entities doing business in coffee market were fined AMD 25 million Armenia’s antitrust commission for unfair competition.
The monitoring showed that they sold coffee with false information on packs.
In Jan-Sept 2011, the commission imposed fines totaling AMD 150 million. ($1 – AMD 382.67). -0-
“We have been repeatedly told that the struggle against monopolies and the regulation of prices are different institutions’ objectives,” Armen Poghosyan, chairman of the Association of Armenian Consumers, said on Tuesday.
He told journalists that the antitrust agency should monitor food markets to see whether prices are in tune with state standards or not.
Very often, he said, consumers have to buy sugar with excessive content of humidity, low-quality bread and coffee with extremely low content of caffeine.
“Consumers can’t compare what is written on packs with the real composition of products while the state commission is able to do it,” Poghosyan said. “Parameters and prices indicated in invoices must correspond to prices set for sale.”
On December 2, five economic entities doing business in coffee market were fined AMD 25 million Armenia’s antitrust commission for unfair competition.
The monitoring showed that they sold coffee with false information on packs.
In Jan-Sept 2011, the commission imposed fines totaling AMD 150 million. ($1 – AMD 382.67). -0-
