OREANDA-NEWS. February 08, 2010. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Stavropol Region (OFAS Russia) found that the Committee for Municipal Economy of the Stavropol City Authority and "Obelisk" Municipal Unitary Enterprise violated the antimonopoly law (Article 16 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition"), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The Committee violated the law by issuing normative acts, which restricted access of the means of transportation to the city cemetery. According to the order issued by "Obelisk" Municipal Unitary Enterprise, the means of transportation of a specialized service - "Obelisk" Municipal Unitary Enterprise - were exempted from the restrictions.

The Stavropol OFAS Russia issued determinations to the Committee and the municipal enterprise to eliminate the violations and made a decision to impose administrative charges upon the violators.

In course of inspections in 2 and 3Q 2009, OFAS Russia issued 15 determinations to municipalities in the Stavropol region, including the City of Stavropol, on eliminating violations in the market of ceremonial services, which were executed. Authorities in Stavropol adjusted the code of practice of municipal cemeteries in accordance with the current legislation, and eliminated transferring responsibilities of government institutions to "Obelisk" Municipal Unitary Enterprise.

Sergey Nikitin, the Head of the Stavropol OFAS Russia, said: "Some companies and government agencies have yet to appreciate the second antimonopoly package and radical reinforcement of liability for anticompetitive actions and agreements between the authorities and business. As a result of agreements between the authorities and "Obelisk" Municipal Unitary Enterprise, attempts to gain additional benefits from a "sorrowful" business of ceremonial services backfired with sorrowful consequences".