OREANDA-NEWS. October 18, 2010. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) initiated cases against the Ministry of Economics of the Moscow Region, the Fuel-and Energy Committee of the Moscow Region and Odintsovo Council of Deputies (Odintsovo Municipal District of the Moscow Region) for the signs of violating Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case was initiated upon the results of investigation of the antimonopoly case against the “Savings Bank of Russia” OJSC, “Odinbank” Ltd., “Russian Post” Federal State Unitary Enterprise, “Information-and-Computing Centre” Municipal Unitary Enterprise of Odinstovo (Odintsovo Municipal District of the Moscow Region), “Housing Department” Municipal Unitary Enterprise of Odinstovo (Odintsovo Municipal District of the Moscow Region), “Odinsovskaya Teploste” OJSC, “Tranzhinzhstroi” OJSC and “Odintsovsky Vodocanal” OJSC. The case was investigated by joint commission of the Bank of Russia and the Antimonopoly Service. These organizations violated the law by concluding trilateral written agreements that led to restricting competition on the market of payments by physical persons in Odintsovo. The agreements approved the form of payment document (notices), according to which residents of more than 250 apartment blocks in Odintsovo could pay for housing services and utilities only through the “Savings Bank of Russia” OJSC, “Odinbank” Ltd. and “Russian Post”.

The Commission established that the tariffs for utilities fully or partially included the costs of utility organizations related to implementation of the trilateral agreements - paying for the services of the “Savings Bank of Russia” OJSC, “Odinbank” Ltd. and “Russian Post” (on average 2% of the sum of payment), and the services of “Information-and-Computing Centre” Municipal Unitary Enterprise (4% of the sum of payment).

In the FAS Russia’s opinion, including the costs of covering bank and postal services for accepting payments in the utility tariffs is unjustified and unreasonably puts these credit organizations and “Russian Post” Federal State Unitary Enterprise in advantageous position exercising acceptance payments from physical persons in Odintsovo.

Including in utility tariffs the costs of the managing organization for the services of calculating the payments for housing and utilities, preparing and mailing the payment documents is also unjustified and can restrict competition because it unreasonably gives advantages to the managing organization “Housing Department” Municipal Unitary Enterprise for exercising economic activities for managing apartment blocks.

FAS Russia believes that actions of the tariff bodies (the Ministry of Economics of the Moscow Region, the Fuel-and Energy Committee of the Moscow Region and Odintsovo Council of Deputies (Odintsovo Municipal District of the Moscow Region)), which approved the tariffs for utility services, are in violation of Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

Cases will be considered on 15th November 2010.