Japan Fair Trade Commission Issues Cease-And-Desist Order To Travel Agencies Over Transporting COVID-19 Patients

From Jiji 

May 30 2024

TOKYO – The Japan Fair Trade Commission on Thursday issued cease-and-desist orders to JTB Corp. and three other travel agencies in a bid-rigging case over a municipal project to transport COVID-19 patients. 

It is the first time the antitrust watchdog has issued such an order over a project related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The other three companies found to have violated the antimonopoly law are Tobu Top Tours Co., Nippon Travel Agency Tohoku Co. and Meitetsu World Travel Inc.

The bid-rigging case also involved Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., but the company escaped punishment because it spontaneously reported the violation before the watchdog launched on-site inspections.

According to the watchdog and other sources, the project to transport COVID-19 patients from their homes to accommodation facilities was ordered by the northeastern city of Aomori. The five companies colluded to decide in advance which of them would win five related tenders between April 2022 and March 2023, while agreeing that the winner would outsource some operations to the others.