Commission for Protection of Competition sent a letter to the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, expressing its position on the particular provisions of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Public Utilities.

Commission stressed the importance of providing equal conditions for all participants in the market of utilities, and in this context drew attention to negative effects of the creation of a legal monopoly.

Commission for Protection of Competition expressed concern that the Ministry opted for solutions that will further limit the potential for competition in the market of public utilities.

Commission notes that only through competition among competitors with quality and price, economic progress and well-being of society, especially the benefit of consumers, can be achieved.

Commission for Protection of Competition has initiated procedure ex officio against companies Philip Morris Operations a.d. Niš, Philip Moriss Services d.o.o., Belgrade, JT International a.d. Senta, British American Tobacco a.d., British American Tobacco South East Europe d.o.o. Belgrade, IMPERIAL TOBACCO SCG d.o.o., Belgrade, TDR d.o.o., Belgrade and MONUS d.o.o. Belgrade (Zemun), due to a reasonable assumption that as market participants in Serbia they consorted their practice, with regard to pricing of their products.

Commission reasonably assumed that these companies concluded a restrictive agreement under Article 10 of the Law on Protection of Competition, in the form of consorted practice on introduction of change and the amount of change in price, including the time as of which their decision to change the price, becomes legaly bound.

It should be noted that the Commission, under this procedure, carried out dawn raid on November 30, 2015, of companies Philip Moriss Services d.o.o., Belgrade and British American Tobacco East Europe d.o.o., Belgrade.

Commission invites all persons who have data, documents or other relevant information which may contribute to determining the factual situation in this procedure, to submit them at Savska 25, Belgrade.