AGHVERAN. – The fines issued to the sellers of butter spreads could not have been very high, Artak Shaboyan, Chairman of the Armenian State Commission for the Protection of Economic Competition (ASCPEC), on Saturday stated during a seminar on competition issues, which was being held in Aghveran village.    

To note, ASCPEC on Monday fined ten businesses 3 million drams (US$ 7,740), each, for selling butter spread instead of pure butter. 

The amount of this fine, however, received equivocal reaction from the society. Many were of the opinion that stricter measures need to be taken.  

As per Shaboyan, ASCPEC issues several types of fines. Unfair competition and abuse of dominant position are fined differently. In this case, the violation was unfair competition, and for this case the law specifies a fine of up to one percent of the company’s profits, in the year past, if it is a first offense. But according to Shaboyan, what’s important for the businesses is not so much the amount of the fine, but rather the damage caused to their image. “Aside from the fine, we are causing damage to the image, which worries them more,” Artak Shaboyan said.