The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has put up a £100,000 award for whistleblowers who help expose illegal price-fixing in businesses.

The 'Cracking down on Cartels' campaign aims to stamp on the practice of businesses agreeing not to compete with each other in order to keep their prices high.

Construction has been highlighted as one industry guilty of the practice, with around 100 companies fined £63.6 million in 2009 (after appeal) for engaging in illegal bid-rigging activity on nearly 200 projects.

Another past example includes construction recruitment agencies price-fixing and collectively boycotting another company (Parc UK) in the supply of candidates to the industry.

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Overall the CMA's campaign will encourage people who have witnessed illegal activity to report it, by offering a reward of up to £100,000 as well as promising them anonymity.

Andrea Coscelli, Acting Chief Executive, said: "Cartels are a form of stealing that cheat ordinary people as well as other businesses by undermining competition, and we are committed to tackling them wherever we find them. Cartels are carried out in secret to make you think you are getting a fair deal, even when you are being conspired against to keep prices high.

"Cartels are both harmful and illegal, and the consequences of breaking the law are extremely serious. That is why we are launching this campaign – to help people understand what cartel activity looks like and how to report it so we can take action."

To report a cartel: email [email protected] or telephone 0800 085 1664 or 020 3738 6888.

(LM/MH)