OREANDA-NEWS. November 11, 2011. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that the Social Security Fund of the Russian Federation (the Fund) and 30 regional branches violated Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case was initiated upon a petition of the “Russian Post” Federal State Unitary Enterprise, which stated that regional branches of the Fund had been sending letters regarding changes in the methods of receiving payments.

The FAS Commission established that according to the Provisional Regulations for Fixing and Making Payments (the Provisional Regulations), approved by a Fund Order, must be paid through credit organisations or by post upon a recepient’s application.

At the same time, in 2009 - 2010 regional branches of the Fund sent over 25000 letters to the recepients regarding the methods of receiving payments, in particular, changing the methods of receiving the payments to the benefit of credit organisations (11 regional branches) or exclusively to the benefit of the “Savings Bank of Russia” OJSC (19 regional branches).

After the letters were sent, more that half of the citizens that used the services of the “Russian Post” and who were sent such letters changed the method of receiving the payments to the benefit of the “Savings Bank of Russia” OJSC.

Some regional branches of the Fund reported that they had sent such letters based on the Fund letter, according to which they had been supposed to advise the recipients to start receiving the payments through credit organisations.

Having investigated the case, FAS found that the Fund and its 30 regional branches violated the antimonopoly law.

In course of the investigation, the Fund and its regional branches voluntarily eliminated the antimonopoly violations, so the FAS Commission did not issue a determination to the respondents to the case.

Proceedings against seven regional branches were terminated because in their letters these branches had only explained the existing methods for receiving payments (through credit organisations or by post).

The FAS Commission also established that social payments can be made using other methods, apart from transfers to the beneficiaries’ accounts or by post. The Provisional Regulations does not provide for such possibilities for the recipients of social payments.

Therefore, FAS has opened a separate case against the Fund upon the signs of violated Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” because the Fund failed to make relevant amendments to the Provisional Regulations.