ISLAMABAD – The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has taken a tough stance on anti-competitive practices, issuing 12 key orders in FY2024-25 and slapping fines totaling Rs1.007 billion across multiple sectors, including fertilisers, poultry, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, real estate, food, hygiene products, paints, and education.
The CCP has streamlined its enforcement process, reducing unnecessary delays and fast-tracking hearings to ensure quicker decisions. Out of the 12 orders, eight targeted deceptive marketing practices, three addressed cartelisation and price fixing, while one dealt with trademark misuse following a Lahore High Court directive.
In a significant move, six urea manufacturers and their trade group were fined Rs375 million for price fixing — Rs50 million for each company and Rs75 million for the association. Another landmark case saw eight poultry hatcheries fined Rs155 million for colluding on the prices of day-old broiler chicks.
Several deceptive advertising cases were also penalized. A housing project faced a Rs150 million fine for false claims, while two companies marketing frozen desserts as ice cream were fined Rs75 million each. One of them also incurred an additional Rs60 million fine for misleading ads.
Other penalties included Rs40 million on a tractor manufacturer for fake fuel efficiency claims, Rs25 million on an SUV maker for misleading ads, and Rs20 million on a pharmaceutical company for using fake dialysis machine certifications (later reduced to Rs2 million by the Competition Appellate Tribunal). A school and a paint company were also fined Rs5 million each for publishing deceptive advertisements.
“Cartelisation is a serious offence that undermines economic growth, violates consumer rights, and discourages investment,” warned CCP Chairman Dr Kabir Sidhu. He cautioned that trade associations must not become platforms for collusion or market abuse that harms the entire nation.
