The share of Tedis Ukraine in the cigarette distribution market in 2019 was less than 75% against 99% in 2013-2015, Olha Pischanska, the head of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMC), has said.
“According to our data, during 2018-2019, the share of Tedis in the cigarette distribution market decreased by some percentage. So, if during 2013-2015 it was 99%, then according to the results of 2019 it did not reach 75%. If to talk about specific figures for today, it is necessary to conduct a separate study,” she said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
Pischanska said that in addition to Tedis, other companies buy cigarettes from manufacturers, which did not happen at the time of the AMC’s decision in 2016.
“In order to demonopolize the market, at the end of 2019, recommendations of the AMC were provided to the largest manufacturers of tobacco products, and a working group was created on the basis of the Ministry of Economy, in which we take part,” she noted.
Pischanska also said that the AMC, in response to statements by tobacco companies about the possibility of filing a claim in international arbitration, created a working group and assesses the risks of the arbitration process.
In addition, asked about the position of the committee on the implementation of the pilot project National Tobacco Operator, Pischanska noted that the AMC does not yet have an official text of this document.
“Since today we do not have an official text of this document, the AMC is not able to form a position on the compliance of the project with competition legislation,” she said, adding that any model has the right to exist if it acts in accordance with the law.
