Cab firms in Sofia investigated on suspicion of collusion

The Commission for Protection of Consumers (CPC) stands prepared to start a probe into whether cab services in Sofia have increased in price because industry firms in the capital have entered into collusion. The announcement came from CPC Chairman Petko Nikolov in response to a money.bg inquiry into the simultaneous price rise of cab services in the city as of November 1. He also commented on the record fine CPC imposed on Hyundai's importer for Bulgaria because of unfair commercial practices. The anti-trust regulator fined IND Commerce 10% of its turnover, which is nearly BGN 16 mln. According to Nikolov, CPC imposed the penalty after consultations with the EU anti-trust authorities and in complete compliance with European and Bulgarian legislation.

The CPC chief took part in the first meeting of anti-trust regulators from the Western Balkans. Also in attendance were representatives of commissions with similar responsibilities from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. The forum, which is under the aegis of UNCTAD, discusses the needs of competition bodies in the countries already in negotiations for EU membership or with the potential to become members. The goal of the initiative is to facilitate the exchange of information and experience in the field of law enforcement where competition is concerned. Among the main tasks of the Sofia forum is the creation and improvement of the legal framework in the region, furthering the expert capacity of the regulators and encouraging the best practices.

According to the chief of CPC, it is no coincidence that Bulgaria was chosen by the UN to oversee the competition integration in the Western Balkans out of all EU member states in the region. Over the years, the Bulgarian competition regulator has proven its good practices and the presence of well-trained employees, he pointed out.

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