Czechs hit Billa and Penny with CZK 164m fine for illegal supplier charges

The Czech Antimonopoly Office (UOHS) has slapped Billa and Penny Market with a CZK 164m fine for abusing their position on the market against the interests of consumers and suppliers. Investigators found that suppliers were being forced to pay "RBG Bonuses", which it charged werd payments to the Rewe Buying Group simply for stocking their goods. The UOHS says the charge often did not appear to be of any benefit to suppliers, for example to compensate for their goods being sold at a discount to increase sales. Such charges were outlawed in 2016 in an amendment to the law on monopolies.