OREANDA-NEWS. November 22, 2010. The Sverdlovsk Office of the Federal Antimonopoly service (OFAS Russia) found that the Ministry of the Sverdlovsk Region for Social Security violated the Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”б reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 18th October 2010, Sverdlovsk OFAS Russia initiated a case against the Sverdlovsk Region for Social Security following a complaint of “Pozhkhimkomplekt” Ltd.

The Ministry sent a letter to its subordinate organizations about purchase of gas-and-smoke protective sets (GZDK and GZDK-U), as a result of which “Grazhdanskaya Oborona” Ltd. was given advantages in procurement of self-rescue devices by organizations.

The Head of Sverdlovsk OFAS Russia Tatiana Kolotova commented: “Since July 2010, subordinate organizations of the Ministry for Social Security have organized thirty open auctions and quotations requests for supplies of personal protective equipment – gas-and-smoke protective sets (GZDK-U). In 28 auctions (93 %) the winner was “Grazhdanskaya Oborona” Ltd.”

The antimonopoly body also established that the Ministry of the Sverdlovsk Region for Social Security sent a letter to its subordinate state social services organizations, recommending to specify product safety requirements in tender and auction documentation) requesting bidders to provide certain documents). Filtering self-rescue devices – gas-and-smoke protective sets GZDK and GZDK-U and isolating self-rescue devices –SIP-1, SPI-20, and SPI-50 are certified fire safety devices.

In addition the subordinate organizations of the Ministry received a technical assignment to be used in drafting documentation or approving the notice about quotation requests. The technical assignment also specified personal protective equipment - gas-and-smoke protective sets GZDK (GZDK-U) and their technical characteristics.

Having investigated the case, Sverdlovsk OFAS Russia found that the Ministry of the Sverdlovsk Region for Social Security violated the Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and issued a determination to the Ministry requesting to withdraw the technical assignments forwarded to their subordinate regional state social security organizations and to officially inform these organizations in writing that they should draft technical assignments for tenders and auctions independently.

In the first six months of 2010 FAS Russia and its regional offices initiated 1728 cases (Article 15 of No.135-FZ Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” of 26th July 2006). Based on the findings of FAS inspections, the Antimonopoly Service has issued 1196 determinations to stop the antimonopoly violations.