A PYMNTS Company

Mexico: Investigation launched into bid-fixing laboratories

By  |  April 19, 2016

Mexico’s Federal Commission for Economic Competition (COFECE) has announced the start of an probe into an alleged case of widespread collusion among clinical analysis laboratories, which recently won supply contracts with the country’s Mexican Social Security Institute.

“Derived from the information provided by the accuser in the indicated files, the Federal Commission for Economic Competition has come to know of facts that may have resulted in absolute monopolistic practices being performed.” said the COFECE’s statement.

Through social media, the competition watchdog shared audio recordings, where representatives of several laboratories participating in a recent ‘mega-auction’ for IMSS contracts worth 10.5 billion pesos (600 million dollars approx) seem to be heard dividing up regions and discussing prices.

Full Content: Yancuic

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.