[뉴스토마토 김유진 기자] Remicon companies such as Dongyang, Ssangyong, and Woosung were caught in large numbers in the private remicon market in Gangneung City. It turned out that they had been colluding for six years by sharing the sales volume.
The Fair Trade Commission announced on the 12th that it would impose a corrective order and fines of KRW 1.282 billion on 17 ready-mixed concrete manufacturers and sellers in the Gangneung region.
Sanctioned places include Ssangyong, Dongyang, Geumgang, Solhyang, Woosung, Wooil, Daeyoung, Giseong Development Dongdeok, Bugang, Samyang, Gyeongpo, Kangwon Industries, Boseong, Donghae Concrete Industry, Seogang, Daean, and Daeju Remicon.
Looking at the contents of the survey, in April 2012, 9 companies including Gangwon Industries agreed to share the distribution ratio equally for each company in the volume of commercial ready-mixed concrete in the Gangneung area. Since then, eight companies, including Bugang Remicon, have joined in the collusion in sequence. In the case of new participating companies, 85% of the existing companies were applied for the volume distribution ratio at the beginning of joining. After every 1 year, it is increased by 5 percentage points, and 100% is applied following 3 full years.
They have created a meeting called ‘Colseonghoe’ attended by company representatives and sales team leaders, and have managed the sales volume of ready-mixed concrete every day. It is a method in which a company that sells in excess of the pre-allocated volume settles a certain amount to a company that sold less than the standard. We filled out the amount of settlements, such as excess and underpayment, every month, and received money when mutual tax invoices were issued according to the statement.
For example, a company that sells in excess of the preset volume applies a settlement unit price of 20,000 won/m3 to the volume corresponding to the excess sales. The amount calculated at this time has been mutually settled by paying the company that sold less than this amount.
An Nam-shin, head of the FTC Cartel Investigation Division, said, “This action is to detect and correct the act of price fixing by the ready-mixed concrete companies, which occupy 94.8-100% of the market share in the private ready-mixed concrete sales market in Gangneung-si, over a long period of more than six years.” “We plan to strengthen surveillance of collusion on intermediate goods items that have a large related effect across the front and rear industries, such as construction raw and subsidiary materials,” he said.
The Fair Trade Commission announced on the 12th that it would impose a corrective order and fines of KRW 1.282 billion on 17 ready-mixed concrete manufacturers and sellers in the Gangneung region. (Graphic = News Tomato)
Sejong = Reporter Yujin Kim yu@etomato.com
This article was finally confirmed and corrected by Lee Kyu-ha, head of the Economics Department, in accordance with the News Tomato Reporting Rules and Code of Ethics.
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