For several years, these companies were alleged to have colluded in public and private tenders for civil engineering and building work, the federal authority explained in a press release on Thursday.

The proceedings, which generally take up to two years, are designed to determine whether an illegal bidding cartel exists, the competition watchdog said on Thursday. This type of cartel causes prices to rise, makes companies inefficient and hinders innovation, the statement said.

In recent years, Comco has conducted several investigations into bidding cartels. The six companies involved are presumed innocent.

This content was published on Sep 3, 2019 The Federal Competition Commission has wrapped up its last two investigations into an illegal price-fixing cartel in the construction industry.