The Department of the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) in Almaty has fined a number of enterprises 2.2 billion tenge based on the results of its work over the first nine months of this year.
"During the reporting period, the department completed 23 analyses of the state of competition in key markets in Almaty. As a result, 34 dominant players and 2 monopolists were identified. Fines totalling 2.2 billion tenge were also imposed, of which more than 1.3 billion tenge has been recovered", the department's press service reported.
During its work, the department issued 14 notices, 9 orders, and completed 9 investigations. In total, the department initiated 18 administrative cases for violations of antimonopoly legislation.
Based on the results of the investigation, APDC staff established that the company Petrosun LLP had abused its dominant position in the wholesale oil products market. The court deemed the department's conclusion to be justified and fined Petrosun LLP 875 million tenge.
At the same time, the department initiated an administrative case against Almatygaz Subscriber Settlement Centre LLP for violating contractual obligations. The company was fined 83.8 million tenge.
Recall that in April last year, it was reported that facts of applying monopolistically high prices in the sale of liquefied petroleum gas were identified in the actions of Petrosun LLP. It turned out that from September to November 2021, the wholesale price of gas increased by more than 300% from the approved maximum price and amounted to 183 thousand tenge per tonne. At that time, the LLP was held administratively liable for more than 600 million tenge.
In November, the Almaty APDC department found that Petrosun LLP had unlawfully restricted the sale of AI-92 grade petrol and diesel fuel to certain market entities with which it had concluded agreements. At that time, the company was fined 542.9 million tenge for abuse of a dominant position.