Post by account_disabled on Mar 12, 2024 4:52:08 GMT
Fee charged for starting an activity constitutes an anti-competitive practice. Thus, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) condemned this Tuesday (16/6) the Manpower Management Body for Casual Port Work in Belém and Vila do Conde (Ogmo-BVC) and seven port operators. The entity charged a fee known as "jewel" to new port operators.
Disclosure
The so-called "jewel" was imposed on anyone interested in practices in the port
.
The case was reported by the National Portugal Mobile Number List Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq). The bodies condemned in the decision are responsible for the administration and supply of port workers, and are the only ones that register such workers. Therefore, membership in OGMO-BVC is mandatory for any newcomer to the port operator market in Belém.
Cade's investigation revealed that the bodies and associates charged this initial fee ("jewel") and additional monthly fees for new members. The different rates and values were defined by the members themselves in general meetings. The council concluded that the charge could drive away competition in the market without justification for doing so.
According to advisor Luiz Hoffman, "the elements in the file indicate that the collection of the admission fee established through the meeting held in 2014, with the main motivation being to cover past liabilities, ended up passing on costs from incumbent operators to new operators (transfer income) without observing any reasonableness". The fines imposed total R$4.7 million. With information from Cade's advisors.
