Six firms to pay up over tender collusion

Johannesburg - The Competition Tribunal confirmed settlement agreements on Wednesday for six furniture removal companies who admitted to tender collusion.

"In a case involving more than 40 respondents, all of whom compete in the furniture removal business, six more companies have now come forward to admit that they participated in tender collusion between 2007 and 2012," it said in a statement.

The companies were Matthee Furniture Removals, De Wet Human Transport trading as Viking Transport, Superdoc Thirteen trading as Lowe Line Furniture Removals, Transfreight International, JH Retief Transport and Joel Transport.

The tribunal first heard the settlement agreements reached between the six companies and the Competition Commission, which investigated the collusion cases, before confirming them.

According to the commission, the furniture removal companies colluded on tenders issued by various government departments including the SA National Defence Force and the SA Police Service as well as tenders issued by large corporates such as Eskom and Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC).

"The furniture removal companies have agreed to pay administrative penalties ranging from R150 582.45 to R4 273 060.80 as part of their respective settlements," the tribunal said.