ISLAMABAD: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has carried out search and inspection operations at the premises of two major electric fan manufacturers and their industry association in Gujrat, over strong suspicions of cartelisation and price-fixing.
The enforcement action, conducted under Section 34 of the Competition Act 2010, was part of an ongoing investigation into potential violations of Section 4, which prohibits agreements or practices that restrict or distort market competition.
Three CCP teams, comprising duly authorised officers, entered and searched the business premises of the targeted entities. The teams secured pricing records, internal documents, and digital evidence relevant to the inquiry.
According to the CCP, the Enquiry Committee examined three years of pricing data and obtained circulars issued by the industry association. These circulars showed coordinated announcements of price increases for various fan models across member companies.
Collected price lists revealed highly uniform pricing patterns among brands. In multiple instances, manufacturers revised prices on identical dates, with price differences between standard ceiling fan models as low as 0.05pc. In some cases, competing brands charged and revised exactly the same prices for specific variants.
These consistent pricing behaviours raise serious concerns of collusive practices and suggest a prima facie violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act.
The electric fan industry plays a significant role in Pakistan’s economy, and the CCP has reiterated its commitment to monitoring the sector to safeguard consumers from artificially inflated prices and anti-competitive conduct.
Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2025
