OREANDA-NEWS. March 25, 2010. FAS Russia completed inspections of the "Tuapse Seaport Administration" Federal State Enterprise, the Tuapse branch of the "Rosmorport" Federal State Unitary Enterprise, "Tuapse Pilot Service" Ltd.

Inspections were organized because at the end of 2009 - beginning of 2010 a conflict developed in Tuapse seaport with regard to piloting services provided by the port.

On 25th December 2009, came into effect the Order of the Federal Tariff Service fixing the rates for pilot services provided by "Tuapse Piloting Service" Ltd., which effectively is as a monopolist in Tuapse seaport. "Tuapse Piloting Service" Ltd. found the level of charges fixed by the Federal Tariff Service insufficient and informed its counteragents that these rates would be effective only during the working hours (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), after hours the company would apply an increasing coefficient - 500%.

In course of the inspection FAS Russia also established that the Tuapse branch of the "Rosmorport" Federal State Unitary Enterprise simultaneously entered the market of providing pilot services in Tuapse port: in the evening on 25th December 2009 the pilots of this company commenced their duties. The captain of Tuapse port registered and issued pilot certificates within a very short period.

"Upon inspection, materials for initiating an antimonopoly case against "Tuapse Piloting Service" Ltd. for the signs of violating Clause 10 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (violating the established pricing procedures) were forwarded to the Krasnodar OFAS Russia, and materials for verifying whether pilot certificates were correctly registered and issued to the pilots of the "Rosmorport" Federal State Unitary Enterprise - to the law enforcement bodies", said Alexander Kinev, the Head of the FAS Russia's Cartel Department.