Department of Trade and Industry targets industries operating like cartels

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said yesterday that they will be going after industries that have cartel-like operations to bring down the prices of goods and protect consumers.

Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said that they will pursue the anti-trust laws which already reached the third reading during last year’s session of the Senate. Domingo said they have gotten the commitment from Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that the passage of anti-trust laws is one of the priorities of the Senate.

“This is for the benefit of everybody. This is part of the good governance structure of the government,” Domingo noted.

Some sectors are complaining that there are players of some industries that raise prices as a group.

Earlier, the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) branded the distributors of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as a cartel.

“The LPGMA (LPG Marketing Association) is a cartel because they set the prices together and they announce any price increases or decreases as a group,” FPI Chairman Jesus L. Arranza told reporters. “This is price fixing because there is a single price for all.”

According to Arranza, whenever there are any price adjustments on the prices of LPG the LPGMA comes out as a group to announce the movement.

“An association announcing the prices is called price fixing because they all agree on the prices. Where is the competition if they agree on the prices,” he asked. “This is a blatant violation because they are obviously a cartel.”