FAS opened a case upon signs of collusion at tenders for constructing facilities in the Samara region

The case upon signs of breaching Clause 2 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” against “Volga” Engineering-and-Construction Company  Ltd. and other bidders (in particular, “StroiMonrtazhKomplekt” Ltd., “Avtodorstroi” Ltd. and “Avtodorinzhiniring” Ltd.) was initiated on 1 March 2017

FAS received information about possible violations of the antimonopoly law in the course of tenders for the works on construction of various facilities in the Samara region from March 2014 to August 2016.

Having investigated the case, FAS found that in some incidents the minimum reduction of the original prices was observed for the same bidders:  “Volga” ECC” Ltd., “StroiMonrtazhKomplekt” Ltd. and “Avtodorinzhiniring” Ltd.

At some tenders matching IP-addresses were registered:  “Volga” ECC” Ltd other bidders (in particular, “StroiMonrtazhKomplekt” Ltd., “Avtodorstroi” Ltd. and “Avtodorinzhiniring” Ltd.), from which entries to the e-trading site was made. In those cases “Volga” ECC” Ltd. or one of the above companies was the winner. The Tender Commission rejected other bids.

Overall, 28 tender violations were exposed. The total sum of the initial contract prices was 2,008,883,636.3 RUB, while the government contracts were concluded with an insignificant savings for the total amount – 2,000,623,084.72 RUB.

FAS is currently exercising unscheduled inspections in the companies.

“Decartelization of construction is one of the main objectives of the antimonopoly authority for 2017 and we will continue the efforts to expose and suppress anticompetitive agreements in the socially important fields", emphasized Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department Andrey Tenishev.