Following the intervention of the Committee for Competition Development and Consumer Rights Protection, the company Food City Tashkent, which operates as a wholesale market for fruits and vegetables, has canceled the increased fee for importing ice onto its territory. This situation was reported by the press service of the agency.
An entrepreneur who sells ice within Food City Tashkent filed a complaint with the committee. He claimed that the market management was intentionally creating barriers to conducting commercial activities.
Specifically, the fee for importing both packaged and unpackaged ice into the market was repeatedly raised and set at 737 thousand soums daily. The entrepreneur stated that this measure was an attempt to force him to leave the market. The Committee studied this appeal and sent a corresponding request to the market administration. As a result of the review between Food City Tashkent and the entrepreneur, an agreement was reached, leading to the cancellation of the unreasonably increased fee.
The Committee emphasized that even if the company does not have a dominant position, the ability to unilaterally set terms of transactions, sales areas, or pricing can be considered having 'predominant bargaining power.' According to the 'On Competition' legislation, abuse of such bargaining power entails the possible application of financial penalties.
