علمت «عكاظ» أن هيئة المنافسة حصلت غرامات مالية بنحو 116 مليون ريال خلال العام الماضي 2024، بارتفاع المبالغ المحصلة (الغرامات) بنسبة 192.5% مقارنة بالفترة المماثلة من عام 2023، وكانت العديد من المخالفات التي قامت بها المنشآت تعود لسعي المنشآت إلى تعظيم أرباحها دون النظر في المحظورات النظامية، إضافة إلى انتشار المخالفات بأسباب عديدة أبرزها عدم إلمام المنشأة بأحكام نظام المنافسة، وضعف إلمام الموظفين المختصين في الجهات الحكومية بأساليب كشف الدلائل على ارتكاب المخالفات، مما يسهل على المنشآت تكرار ارتكاب بعض المخالفات.
وبينت الهيئة أن إجمالي الإشعارات التي وجهتها الهيئة على المنشآت لتحصيل المخالفات بلغ 60 إشعاراً، إضافة إلى تنفيذ 25 عملية تحصيل خلال عام 2024، ونشر 14 عقوبة ضد المنشآت المخالفة الصادرة بشأنها قرارات وأحكام نهائية.
إجمالي الغرامات
رغم تحصيل الهيئة 116 مليون ريال، إلا أن مجموع مبالغ الغرامات المالية الصادرة بناء على قرارات لجنة الفصل في مخالفات نظام المنافسة بحق المخالفين لأحكام نظام المنافسة لعام 2024 بلغ نحو 121.62 مليون ريال، ولم تكتسب جميع القرارات صفة القطعية، بل ما زال باب التظلم متاحاً للمنشآت خلال 30 يوماً من تاريخ إبلاغ المخالف بالقرار، أو استئناف حكم المحكمة الإدارية الأولى أمام محاكم الاستئناف خلال 30 يوماً من تاريخ الإبلاغ بالحكم، وذلك وفقاً لأحكام نظامي المنافسة والمرافعات أمام ديوان المظالم.
توزيع الغرامات
توزعت الغرامات المفروضة العام الماضي على 7 قطاعات رئيسية، تصدرها قطاع «الجبس» بنسبة 35%، ثم قطاع «الاتصالات» بنسبة 26%، ثم الغازات الصناعية بنسبة 10%، وتوزعت الغرامات بنسبة 5% على كل من قطاعات «تدوير المخلفات، التقنية، المقاولات»، أما قطاع «النقليات» فبلغت الغرامات عليه 2%.
9 أسباب للانتشار
كشفت الهيئة وجود 9 أسباب لانتشار مخالفات نظام المنافسة شملت «عدم إلمام المنشآت بأحكام نظام المنافسة، سعي المنشآت إلى تعظيم أرباحها دون النظر في المحظورات النظامية، سعي المنشآت إلى إخراج المنافسين، خصوصاً المنشآت الصغيرة والمتوسطة، وجود نسبة تركز عالية في كثير من القطاعات أسهمت في سهولة قيام المنشآت المهيمنة بتلك الممارسة، سعي المنشأة إلى المحافظة على وضعها المهيمن وتوسيع حصتها السوقية، سعي المنشأة التي تتمتع بوضع مهيمن إلى وضع عوائق تمنع دخول المنافسين المحتملين إلى السوق، ضعف إلمام الموظفين المختصين في الجهات الحكومية بأساليب كشف الدلائل على ارتكاب المخالفات، مما يسهل على المنشآت تكرار ارتكاب بعض المخالفات، وجود إدارة مشتركة لجميع المنشآت المتنافسة في ذات المنافسة، عدم البناء الصحيح لكراسة الشروط والمواصفات، مما يجعل احتمالية التواطؤ عالية».
المخالفات الأكثر شيوعاً
أعلنت هيئة المنافسة وجود 6 مخالفات تعد الأكثر شيوعاً بين المخالفين، كان أبرزها الاتفاق بين المنشآت على التحكم بأسعار السلع وبلغت نسبة المخالفات 40.74%، ثم الاتفاق بين المنشآت على التواطؤ والتنسيق في العطاءات في المشاريع الحكومية وغير الحكومية وبلغت نسبتها بين المخالفات 31.94%، وجاءت المخالفة المصنفة في المرتبة الثالثة «إساءة استغلال الوضع المهيمن من خلال فرض اشتراطات خاصة على عمليات البيع والشراء» وبلغت نسبة انتشارها 9.02%، وبلغت نسبة مخالفة المنشآت التي تقوم بإساءة استغلال الوضع المهيمن من خلال إرغام عملاء على عدم التعامل مع منافس نحو 4.86%، ثم الاتفاق بين المنشآت على تقاسم الأسواق وبلغت نسبة انتشارها 3.47%، و9.97% تصنف كمخالفات أخرى.
* أسباب انتشار مخالفات المنافسة:
- عدم إلمام المنشآت بأحكام نظام المنافسة
- تعظيم أرباحها دون النظر في المحظورات
- السعي لإخراج المنشآت خصوصاً الصغيرة والمتوسطة
- ضعف إلمام الموظفين الحكوميين بكشف الدلائل
116 مليون ريال غرامات منشآت خالفت نظام المنافسة
17 يوليو 2025 - 16:43
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آخر تحديث 17 يوليو 2025 - 16:43
هيئة المنافسة كشفت وجود 9 أسباب لانتشار مخالفات نظام المنافسة.
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
عبدالرحمن المصباحي (جدة) @sobhe90
The "Okaz" newspaper learned that the Competition Authority collected financial fines amounting to approximately 116 million riyals during the past year 2024, an increase in the amounts collected (fines) by 192.5% compared to the same period in 2023. Many of the violations committed by establishments were due to their pursuit of maximizing profits without regard for legal prohibitions, in addition to the spread of violations for various reasons, the most prominent of which is the lack of familiarity of the establishment with the provisions of the Competition Law, and the weak knowledge of specialized employees in government agencies regarding methods to uncover evidence of violations, which facilitates the repeated commission of certain violations by establishments.
The authority indicated that the total number of notifications directed to establishments for collecting violations reached 60 notifications, in addition to executing 25 collection operations during the year 2024, and publishing 14 penalties against violating establishments for which final decisions and rulings were issued.
Total Fines
Despite the authority collecting 116 million riyals, the total amount of financial fines issued based on the decisions of the Committee for the Settlement of Violations of the Competition Law against violators of the provisions of the Competition Law for 2024 reached approximately 121.62 million riyals, and not all decisions have acquired the status of finality, as the door for appeals remains open for establishments within 30 days from the date of notifying the violator of the decision, or appealing the ruling of the First Administrative Court before the Courts of Appeal within 30 days from the date of notification of the ruling, in accordance with the provisions of the Competition Law and the procedures before the Board of Grievances.
Distribution of Fines
The fines imposed last year were distributed across 7 main sectors, led by the "Gypsum" sector at 35%, followed by the "Telecommunications" sector at 26%, then industrial gases at 10%, and the fines were distributed at 5% each across the "Waste Recycling, Technology, and Contracting" sectors, while the "Transport" sector had fines amounting to 2%.
9 Reasons for Spread
The authority revealed the existence of 9 reasons for the spread of violations of the Competition Law, which included "the lack of familiarity of establishments with the provisions of the Competition Law, the pursuit of establishments to maximize their profits without regard for legal prohibitions, the effort to eliminate competitors, especially small and medium-sized establishments, the existence of a high concentration ratio in many sectors that contributed to the ease with which dominant establishments engaged in such practices, the effort of the establishment to maintain its dominant position and expand its market share, the effort of an establishment with a dominant position to create barriers preventing potential competitors from entering the market, the weak knowledge of specialized employees in government agencies regarding methods to uncover evidence of violations, which facilitates the repeated commission of certain violations, and the existence of shared management for all competing establishments in the same competition, and the incorrect construction of specifications and conditions documents, which increases the likelihood of collusion."
Most Common Violations
The Competition Authority announced the existence of 6 violations that are the most common among violators, the most prominent of which was the agreement between establishments to control the prices of goods, with a violation rate of 40.74%. This was followed by the agreement between establishments to collude and coordinate in bids for government and non-government projects, with a violation rate of 31.94%. The violation classified in third place was "abuse of a dominant position by imposing special conditions on buying and selling operations," with a prevalence rate of 9.02%. The rate of violations by establishments that abuse their dominant position by forcing customers not to deal with a competitor was about 4.86%, followed by the agreement between establishments to divide markets, with a prevalence rate of 3.47%, and 9.97% classified as other violations.
* Reasons for the Spread of Competition Violations:
- Lack of familiarity of establishments with the provisions of the Competition Law
- Maximizing profits without regard for prohibitions
- Efforts to eliminate establishments, especially small and medium-sized ones
- Weak knowledge of government employees in uncovering evidence
The authority indicated that the total number of notifications directed to establishments for collecting violations reached 60 notifications, in addition to executing 25 collection operations during the year 2024, and publishing 14 penalties against violating establishments for which final decisions and rulings were issued.
Total Fines
Despite the authority collecting 116 million riyals, the total amount of financial fines issued based on the decisions of the Committee for the Settlement of Violations of the Competition Law against violators of the provisions of the Competition Law for 2024 reached approximately 121.62 million riyals, and not all decisions have acquired the status of finality, as the door for appeals remains open for establishments within 30 days from the date of notifying the violator of the decision, or appealing the ruling of the First Administrative Court before the Courts of Appeal within 30 days from the date of notification of the ruling, in accordance with the provisions of the Competition Law and the procedures before the Board of Grievances.
Distribution of Fines
The fines imposed last year were distributed across 7 main sectors, led by the "Gypsum" sector at 35%, followed by the "Telecommunications" sector at 26%, then industrial gases at 10%, and the fines were distributed at 5% each across the "Waste Recycling, Technology, and Contracting" sectors, while the "Transport" sector had fines amounting to 2%.
9 Reasons for Spread
The authority revealed the existence of 9 reasons for the spread of violations of the Competition Law, which included "the lack of familiarity of establishments with the provisions of the Competition Law, the pursuit of establishments to maximize their profits without regard for legal prohibitions, the effort to eliminate competitors, especially small and medium-sized establishments, the existence of a high concentration ratio in many sectors that contributed to the ease with which dominant establishments engaged in such practices, the effort of the establishment to maintain its dominant position and expand its market share, the effort of an establishment with a dominant position to create barriers preventing potential competitors from entering the market, the weak knowledge of specialized employees in government agencies regarding methods to uncover evidence of violations, which facilitates the repeated commission of certain violations, and the existence of shared management for all competing establishments in the same competition, and the incorrect construction of specifications and conditions documents, which increases the likelihood of collusion."
Most Common Violations
The Competition Authority announced the existence of 6 violations that are the most common among violators, the most prominent of which was the agreement between establishments to control the prices of goods, with a violation rate of 40.74%. This was followed by the agreement between establishments to collude and coordinate in bids for government and non-government projects, with a violation rate of 31.94%. The violation classified in third place was "abuse of a dominant position by imposing special conditions on buying and selling operations," with a prevalence rate of 9.02%. The rate of violations by establishments that abuse their dominant position by forcing customers not to deal with a competitor was about 4.86%, followed by the agreement between establishments to divide markets, with a prevalence rate of 3.47%, and 9.97% classified as other violations.
* Reasons for the Spread of Competition Violations:
- Lack of familiarity of establishments with the provisions of the Competition Law
- Maximizing profits without regard for prohibitions
- Efforts to eliminate establishments, especially small and medium-sized ones
- Weak knowledge of government employees in uncovering evidence
