YEREVAN, DECEMBER 12, NOYAN TAPAN. About 16 companies operating in the butter and vegetable oil markets dispute the October 19 decision of the RA Commission on Protection of Economic Competition. By the decision, each of the companies was fined in the amount of 2% of the previous year's revenues (but not in the amount exceeding 300 million drams or about 983 USD) for the unfounded rise in sale prices as a result of the anticompetition agreement reached by about 50 economic entities operating in the butter and vegetable oil markets. At the December 12 sitting of the commission, lawyer of Armen Os company Bagrat Vardanian said that their company neither sold butter in the market nor gave it to re-sellers but it sold butter to Tamara ice-cream producing company. The remaining 19.5 thousand tons of butter was stored in the company's warehouse for own production of confectionery. However, according to the commission's representative, the company also sold butter, and the complaint of Armen OS was rejected based on this fact. The commission also rejected the complaints of the other companies, except one, whose hearing was postponed. By the way, all the companies that have filed complaints claim they either did not import vegetable oil and butter or did not sell these products in August-September, while in case of selling, they did not raise prices of butter and vegetable oil.

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