The Polish competition authority, UOKiK, has announced significant penalties totaling over 13.5 million PLN against companies that engaged in illegal bid rigging during public tenders organized by PGE Dystrybucja.

In its decision, UOKiK found that businesses competing for contracts to build or reconstruct elements of the electrical infrastructure colluded to manipulate the outcomes of 11 tenders. Instead of competing fairly, the companies coordinated their bids to ensure a predetermined winner.

UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny emphasized the detrimental impact of such collusion on the economy, stating that companies must act independently and compete honestly for public contracts. The collusion involved frequent communication among participants to decide who would win each auction.

Specific agreements were made regarding tenders, such as one for the reconstruction of the electrical network infrastructure, where companies agreed that one would win while others would refrain from lowering their prices. In another case, participants discussed raising their bids to align with the budget of the contracting authority.

The fines imposed include 3,419,938.78 PLN for the reconstruction tender and 10,176,777.57 PLN for the tenders related to radio-controlled connection points. The decision is not yet final, as the companies have the right to appeal to the court.