The EBAA and the 16 companies have six weeks from the receipt of the PID to make representations or argue the case set out by CCS. --PHOTO: ST
THE Express Bus Agencies Association (EBAA) and 16 companies have been asked to show cause for fixing prices of express bus tickets from Singapore to various destinations in Malaysia from 2006 to 2008.
They were issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID) by the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS).
A spokesperson for the commission, which views price-fixing as a serious infringement of the Competition Act, said on Tuesday: 'When businesses collude to fix prices, they are in fact agreeing to stop competing and gain financially at the expense of the customers. CCS takes a serious view of such harmful anti-competitive practices.'
The PID is a written notice setting out the facts on which CCS makes its assessment and its reasons for arriving at the proposed decision. It is issued to give the parties involved an opportunity to put forth their arguments to CCS and submit information that they wish CCS to consider.
The EBAA and the 16 companies have six weeks from the receipt of the PID to make representations or argue the case set out by CCS.
As CCS will need to consider the merits of the parties' representations before finalising its decision on whether there has been an infringement of competition law, CCS will not release further details of the case at this stage,' said the spokesperson.
'A press release will be issued after the final decision has been made by CCS.'
Section 34 of the Competition Act prohibits agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings or concerted practices which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within Singapore.
