Competition Council fines 27 firms for road procurement bid rigging

The Competition Council has imposed fines totaling approximately 95 million lei on 27 enterprises for participating in anti-competitive agreements and concerted practices. These activities occurred during public procurement processes organized by the State Road Administration (ASD) between 2019 and 2020.

Investigations revealed that the companies engaged in bid rigging for road repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance projects. They coordinated their behavior by exchanging sensitive information and dividing procurement procedures, which prevented real competition for contracts. The value of the contracts affected by these rigged bids amounted to approximately 1.75 billion lei, representing at least 47% of the total value of road rehabilitation contracts concluded by the ASD during that period. These projects were funded by the Road Fund.

The Council noted that effective competition could have resulted in greater savings and a higher volume of completed works. In determining the sanctions, several mitigating circumstances were considered; seven enterprises received reduced fines after partially or fully admitting to the anti-competitive acts. The sanctioned companies have 30 days to contest the decision.