ISLAMABAD: The District Competition Appellate Tribunal has imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 crore on Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a global health and hygiene products company, for falsely advertising its popular product Dettol.
As per the details, the Competition Appellate Tribunal upheld the decision of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) against Reckitt Benckiser (RB) Pakistan on unfair marketing practices related to health products.
The complaint was first initiated by rival company Unilever Pakistan by Reckitt Benckiser regarding misleading and unethical advertising of Dettol soap through the media. It launched an inquiry after another company failed to back up its claim that Dettol soap kills up to 99.9 percent of germs and provides 24-hour protection against germs, colds and flu.
The Dettol maker was found guilty of deceptive marketing practices for violating the Competition Act, 2010.
In a previous development, the Competition Commission of Pakistan fined RB Rs 3 crore for spreading false and misleading information that could harm other businesses and mislead consumers about the product’s merits.
The company then appealed the CCP’s decision to the Competition Appellate Tribunal, which upheld the CCP’s findings but halved the fine.