OREANDA-NEWS. March 22, 2012. At an international seminar “Developing Competition on the Market of Payment Cards” organized by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) and Hungary’s Competition Authority, the Head of FAS Department for Control over Financial Markets, Olga Sergeeva, discussed the problems of the market of payment systems and characteristic cases against the Federal Tariff Service.

According to Olga Sergeeva, the main problems of the market of payment systems include:

-Absence of full and reliable information for consumers, both regarding payment services and possibilities to obtain them;

- Restricting consumers in their choice of credit organizations for paying and receiving monetary funds;

- Establishing monopolistically high and monopolistically low prices for payment services by dominant credit organizations;

- Preferences granted by the authorities, in particular, implementing the “Social Card” projects.

Olga Sergeeva gave a more detailed account of the cases initiated by FAS Russia against the Federal Tariff Service for restricting competition among payment systems. The Federal Tariff Service unreasonably prevented activities of the coordination of customs cards issuing in breach of Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”.

In conclusion, Olga Sergeeva drew attention of the seminar participants to responsibility of officials for restricting competition: “With the “third antimonopoly package” coming into force we have a possibility to impose administrative fines upon officials of the Federal Tariff Service if their actions resulted in restricting competition”.