The competition commission of South Africa has been working hard in an effort to investigate, prosecute and charge companies contravening the Competition Act. The Commission has recently charged Corobrik and four other brick makers for price fixing and division of markets. Here are the latest price fixers which have been charged by the commission.
1.COROBRIK
Corobrik, which is a well-known manufacturer and supplier of bricks, pavers including clay and concrete blocks in South Africa, has been under investigation for contravening the Competition Act. The Commission in April this year also probed Era Bricks, Eston Brick and Tile, De Hoop Brickfields, Clay Industry and Kopano Brickworks for contravening the Competition Act, by engaging in price fixing and division of markets in the manufacturing and supply of bricks, pavers and blocks of clay and concrete.
2. ASPEN
Aspen secretly planned to destroy life-saving cancer medicines as a threat to force countries in Europe to allow price hikes. The price rises meant that the cost of busulfan, used by leukemia patients, rose from £5.20 (R87.32) to £65.22 (R1095.17) a pack in England and Wales during 2013.
3. DSTV
DStv had admitted to price fixing and contravening the Competition Act. DStv had agreed to pay R22 million in penalty fees as well as R8 million to the Economic Development Fund to enable the development of black-owned small media or advertising agencies.
4. BLINKWATER MILLS
5.Maize milling firm, Blinkwater Mills were charged a R10.1m fine for price-fixing. The Tribunal approved the settlement for the mill which is based in Middleburg Mpumalanga. Blinkwater contravened the Competition Act by agreeing to the direct and indirect fixing of the selling price of milled white maize products, and agreed to dates upon which these prices would be implemented.
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (“K-Line”), a Japanese company operating in South Africa. The company was accused along with several others, Mitsui O.S.K Lines Ltd (“MOL”), Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha Ltd (“NYK”) and Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics AS (“WWL”) fixed prices and tendered collusively for the transportation of vehicles from South Africa to various international destinations including Europe, North African and the Caribbean Islands, the commission spokesperson Sipho Ngwema said in a statement.
There are probably more companies which are currently under investigation for price-fixing. Business Report will keep you informed about such companies.