Islamabad: The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) has upheld the Competition Commission of Pakistan’s (CCP) decision, imposing a PKR 10 million penalty on five entities, including M/s Creative Engineering, for collusive bidding in a tender issued by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO).

According to Competition Commission of Pakistan announcement issued on 09 July 2024, the CCP’s investigation revealed that Creative Engineering, along with four other companies, had engaged in practices violating Section 4 of the Competition Act, 2010 by manipulating the bidding process for power distribution equipment.

The entities were found to have coordinated to divide tender quantities and align their bid prices to create a facade of competitiveness. Despite challenging the CCP’s findings, Creative Engineering’s appeal was dismissed by the CAT due to its non-attendance at multiple hearings, solidifying the CCP’s stance on enforcing strict penalties for anti-competitive behaviors to ensure fair market practices.