ISLAMABAD – Reckitt Benckiser has been penalized for deceptive marketing of Strepsils as Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) recovered fine for false strepsils claims.
The recovery was made after the company’s appeal was dismissed by the Competition Appellate Tribunal (CAT) on grounds of non-prosecution. CCP then enforced its decision by attaching Reckitt Benckiser’s bank account, in accordance with Section 40(2)(a) of the Competition Act, 2010, which authorizes the Commission to recover penalties from non-compliant entities.
Officials earlier found company guilty of deceptive marketing practices by promoting Strepsils as a medicated product for sore throats, even though the product had been de-registered as a drug following its acquisition by Reckitt Benckiser in 2005. The Commission concluded that this constituted a violation of Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, which prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading information to consumers.
According to the CCP, the marketing misled consumers about the therapeutic benefits of Strepsils and unfairly harmed the business interests of competing products in the market.
The imposition of the Rs. 150 million penalty was initially challenged by Reckitt Benckiser, but the appeal was struck down due to the company’s failure to pursue it. With the legal process concluded, the CCP moved forward with the enforcement and successfully recovered the full amount. Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers from deceptive marketing tactics.
