OREANDA-NEWS. March 11, 2011. Moscow Arbitration Court pronounced validity of the decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) regarding the “Main Special Communications Centre” Federal State Unitary Enterprise, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 28th September 2009, FAS Russia found that the “Main Special Communications Centre” violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (abusing market dominance).

From 20th October 2008, the communications enterprise fixed monopolistically high price for delivery of mail, containing information classified as state secrets, in the Russian Federation. In 2009 prices increased by 300-500% in comparison with 2008 (in the first tariff zone the price increased from 122 Rubles to 540 Rubles for one item of mail up to one kg.)

Also the “Main Special Communications Centre” imposed disadvantageous contract conditions and services irrelevant to the subject of the contracts for delivering mail, containing information classified as state secrets, in St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

In its decision, FAS Russia obligated the “Main Special Communications Centre” Federal State Unitary Enterprise to set the rates for delivery of mail, containing information classified as state secrets, at the level not exceeding the growth of costs incurred by the enterprise.

Moscow Arbitration Court confirmed that actions undertaken by the “Main Special Communications Centre” Federal State Unitary Enterprise were contrary to the antimonopoly law.

“Users of the services provided by the “Main Special Communications Centre” are mostly budget-funded organisations that forward the documents of special importance and such considerable price increase creates obstacles for these organisations fulfilling state duties”, said the Head of the FAS Russia’s Transport and Communications Department, Dmitry Routenberg.