Panama: Monopolistic Practices in Food Denounced

Four companies are being investigated for possibly having coordinated to manipulate prices in tenders in the dairy drinks market and to have divided up the market by geographical area.

Friday, February 24, 2017

The companies that are being investigated by the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (Acodeco) are Productos Nevada S. de R.L.; Global Products and Logistic Services, Inc .; Industrias lácteas, S.A; Food and Sociedad de Alimentos de Primera, S.A.

Panamaamerica.com.pa reports that "...These companies may have coordinated positions in abstaining in public tenders, manipulating and fixing the sale or purchase price of goods and services (fortified milk drinks) and also divided up the existing market by geographical areas (provinces) in the Abbreviated Tenders By Price held by the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) for the Supply, Transportation, Delivery and unloading on site of Fortified Milk Drinks in the school health nutrition program nationwide for the years 2014 and 2015."

"... Acodeco reported that after due diligence carried out in the offices of companies PRODUCTOS NEVADA S. DE R.L.; GLOBAL PRODUCTS AND LOGISTIC SERVICES, INC.; INDUSTRIAS LÁCTEAS, S.A.; AND SOCIEDAD DE ALIMENTOS DE PRIMERA, S.A., "sufficient documents and information was obtained to establish the possible existence of restrictive practices"."

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