The 40.7 million peso fine imposed by the Cofece on the Association of Producers and Exporting Packers of Mexican Avocado (Apeam) is illegal and will not be paid, stated Miguel Flores, the Legal Adviser of the Association.
On May 3, the Federal Economic Competition Commission (Cofece) imposed a fine on avocado producers because the Association didn't submit an annual report that it had committed to submit.
"That fine is illegal and unconstitutional, so the Apeam is not going to pay that fine. The Association will resort to specialized courts to assert its rights because the Commission is wrong in this case," Flores said.
He said the Apeam had committed to deliver an annual report to the Cofece about the payments for its billing and collection service, which it sends to the Department of Agriculture, regarding the review it makes of the orchards for export.
The purpose of the report was that the Cofece could verify that Apeam members, and other people interested in exporting, paid the same fee for those services and that there were no preferences for the Apeam members.
However, despite the fact that the Organization opened a window so that non-member producers could pay them, there wasn't anyone attending the place so no new information was generated.
Source: hoylosangeles.com