The Japan Fair Trade Commission has settled on a policy to find 6 companies involved in bid-rigging in bids for Toei Subway track maintenance work, and to issue exclusion orders and surcharge payment orders to 5 of them. The surcharge is expected to total approximately ¥500 million, with winning bidders pre-arranged by line.
Regarding bids for Toei Subway track maintenance work, the Japan Fair Trade Commission has settled on a policy to find 6 companies involved in bid-rigging and is expected to issue exclusion orders and surcharge payment orders to 5 of them. The surcharge is expected to total approximately ¥500 million.
The companies concerned are 東鉄工業, 坪井工業, 早川建設, 日信工業 and 三軌建設, while 東急軌道工業 is also expected to be found in breach but is likely to avoid sanctions after making a voluntary report. As the report was made before the JFTC’s investigation, the company is expected to qualify for the leniency program for surcharges.
The 6 companies had pre-arranged the companies scheduled to receive contracts in bids for several lines. The targets are said to include track replacement work on the Toei Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku and Oedo subway lines, the Toden Arakawa Line, and the Nippori-Toneri Liner.
Attention will now focus on the formal sanctions, whether each company is specifically found to have violated the rules, and when further information will be released.