Türkiye's discount grocer BIM was slapped with a nearly TL 1.3 billion (nearly $36 million) administrative fine after the country's top regulator ruled that on-site inspection was obstructed and made difficult, according to a statement on Wednesday.
In the statement made by the Competition Authority (RK), it was noted that the on-site inspection authority is the primary tool used to reveal whether the law has been violated, and it was emphasized that the competent and efficient use of this power "is extremely important" for the establishment of competition.
The authority also said that if the on-site inspection is prevented or made difficult, the relevant company is given an administrative fine of 5/1,000 of its turnover. Moreover, RK said that inspections are meticulously carried out by the Competition Authority, using devices equipped with the latest technology.
"The review covers only work-related elements, personal or private data is not touched in any way and is kept outside the scope of the inspection," it further said.
"For the enterprises that have undergone on-site inspections not to face the said administrative fine, all employees of the enterprise, from the lowest to the highest level, must not delete any data from any device they use for work, from the moment the on-site inspection begins," it added.
Otherwise, this issue is easily detected by the authority's personnel using high-tech devices, and the enterprises face administrative fines for preventing or making it difficult to conduct on-site inspections, the statement said.
"Indeed, during the on-site inspection conducted at BIM's headquarters on Jan. 14, it was determined by the organization's experts that a BIM manager had deleted data after the on-site inspection had started, and with the decision taken by the board on Feb. 6, it was decided that the on-site inspection had been prevented and made difficult, and an administrative fine of approximately TL 1.3 billion was imposed on BIM," the authority noted.
