Competition Authority reacts to price hikes, start market monitoring

Through an official statement, the AK says it has no mandate to determine or cut prices, but intervenes when prices are co-ordinated or artificially defined by competitive companies.

“The action of the Authority includes preventing and preventing prohibited agreements between companies, misuse of dominant positions, and controlling economic concentrations, in cases when they violate market competition” the report says.

The authority says that, due to concerns raised by citizens and numerous media reports, its activities for market monitoring have intensified.

The “is currently under way, a deepening analysis of over 20 basic products to analyze the reasons for price hikes on the Kosovo market.

Also, the monitoring of the bread market has begun, and the Authority is in the process of collecting information to assess whether recent price increases in this sector are justified or contrary to the law on competition” is said further in the statement.

The Authority states that the gastronomial sector, with particular emphasis on growing the price of coffee, is under surveillance.

“Authority inspectors are holding field visits to different Kosovo cities, collecting data and direct information from market operators.

After completing the phase of analysis and collection of information, if violations of the Law on Protection of Competition are identified, the Authority will take necessary legal actions, in line with its competencies” is said in the statement.

The Competition Authority states it can take temporary measures through which the procedure begins and makes a decision to impose these measures on companies, when there is the risk of irreparable damage to competition in the market, especially when certain actions disturb the market. /Periscope/