Islamabad: The Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) has upheld significant fines imposed by the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on two leading battery manufacturers for failing to disclose essential product information, a decision aimed at protecting consumer rights and promoting fair market practices.
According to Competition Commission of Pakistan, the CAT’s recent decision reaffirmed the CCP’s earlier penalties against Millat Industrial Products Ltd and Century Engineering Industries (Pvt) Ltd. Each company has been ordered to pay PKR 1 million and a daily penalty of PKR 100,000 for the period from May 31, 2018, to June 12, 2018. This ruling followed a CCP investigation initiated by a consumer complaint, which accused the manufacturers of misleading the public by omitting critical details like product capacity on their batteries’ labels and warranty cards.
The investigation concluded that this lack of transparency hindered consumers’ ability to make informed choices, thereby distorting competition and violating Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010. The CAT’s decision to uphold the CCP’s penalty underlines the tribunal’s commitment to enforcing compliance with fair marketing practices.
Despite the tribunal’s ruling, both Millat Industries and Century Engineering have escalated the matter to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where their appeals are currently under consideration. This ongoing legal battle underscores the challenges in ensuring transparency and fairness in marketing strategies within the competitive sectors of Pakistan’s economy.