Major Moroccan Fuel Companies Admit to Price Collusion Allegations

We now know a little more about the fuel price issue. The three main players in the sector did not deny the grievances about suspected collusion that the Competition Council had addressed to them, reports TelQuel.

This mea culpa, which occurred in July, responds to the grievances that the Competition Council addressed to the said oil companies as part of its investigation into the compliance of certain of their practices with competition law.

The decision and any sanctions from the institution were therefore to come two months later, i.e. at the end of September, indicates the same source.

TelQuel reports that Afriquia, Vivo energy (Shell) and Total, who together account for nearly 60% of market share, have opted for the "non-contestation procedure". The door is therefore open to negotiations.

"There will be a negotiation between the Competition Council and each company. This is the most sensitive phase, because it is the one that will lead to a decision.

It is difficult to predict how long these negotiations will last," enlightens a connoisseur of the mechanisms of the Competition Council.

If the negotiation is successful, the ceiling of the financial penalty in the event of non-contestation will be reduced by half for the three main players in the hydrocarbon sector. Never, in the history of competition in Morocco, had the Council had to rule on a case of this magnitude, notes TelQuel.