The Competition Authority has taken appropriate measures against anti-competitive agreements at 47 gas filling stations in the Bukhara region, it was announced.
During the monitoring conducted by the Committee's regional office in Bukhara, although the retail price for 1 cubic meter of compressed gas at gas filling compressor stations was set from 3,850 to 3,950 UZS until December 6, 2024, it was noted that the price increased up to 4,150 UZS, i.e., by 8 percent, during December 7–9, 2024.
Based on the "Competition Law" and the requirements of the Regulation approved by the Cabinet of Ministers' Decision No. 256, the regional office carried out appropriate investigations at 85 gas filling compressor stations for signs of participating in anti-competitive agreements or coordinated actions by artificially raising the price of compressed gas in retail sales simultaneously or sequentially by competing economic entities.
In the course of the investigations, it was found that 44 enterprises operating 47 gas filling stations in Bukhara region, without individual economic reasons or general external factors, and even without the necessity for expenses, increased prices simultaneously or sequentially (the price increase period was from December 5 to 13, 2024), thereby gaining unwarranted profit by selling to consumers.
In accordance with the identified situations, the regional office's special commission initiated cases against 44 enterprises for violations of signals related to the Law "On Competition"Article 19 (prohibition of anti-competitive agreements and coordinated actions) and the requirements of relevant resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers, and decisions on imposing financial penalties were made according to the established procedure.
Furthermore, instructions were given on remedying the violation and preventing its occurrence in the future, and compliance is mandatory.
