Connect with us

Business

Google’s Rivals May Face Probe On Anti-Trust Offer

Published

12 years ago

on

Google’s rivals could get the chance to ramp up pressure for tougher concessions from the search giant when they are asked, possibly as early as this week, to study its proposals for ending a European Union antitrust investigation.

The world’s most popular search engine formally submitted a package of concessions to European regulators last week and three people familiar with the matter said on Monday these could be put to rivals this week in a market test, according to our source..

The proposals are intended to settle an investigation dating from November 2010 and stave off a fine that could be as high as $5bn if the company were found to have breached EU rules.

“It is possible the market test could start this week,” said one of the sources, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The spokesman for competition policy at the European Commission, Antoine Colombani, declined to comment. Google spokesman Al Verney said the company continued to work cooperatively with the EU antitrust watchdog.

Complainants against Google include Microsoft, online mapping services, smaller rival search engines across Europe, publishers, online travel sites such as TripAdvisor and Expedia, and price comparison sites.

Neither the commission nor Google has given details of the proposals. But people familiar with the matter have told Reuters these could include Google labelling its own services to differentiate them from rivals’, and also imposing fewer restrictions on advertisers.

Google’s opponents have already indicated labeling will not address their concerns.

“Labelling is a non-starter and may be worse than the existing situation,” said David Wood, a lawyer for online lobbying group ICOMP, whose members include Microsoft and four other complainants.

Any concessions the regulators accept from Google would be valid for five years in Europe and be monitored by a trustee to ensure compliance, one of the sources said.

“Rival services will be shown more prominently in search results, with three links to three different search engines,” the person said.

“Advertising space in Google Shopping will be reserved exclusively for vertical search sites,” the person said, referring to specialty search functions focused on specific topics.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Business

Mile 2-Jetty Toxic Leakage: SEREC Worries Over Environmental Pollution 

Published

35 minutes ago

on

October 12, 2025

By

The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has raised alarm over the environmental pollution at Mile 2 Jetty following a sunken barge which cargo is leaking.
SEREC noted that the sunken barge has led to chemical pollution at the Mile 2 Jetty adding that the continued rainfall has worsened toxic leakage into the waterways, threatening marine life and public health.
In a Press Statement, the Head of Research, SEREC, Dr. Eugene Nweke, said the incident calls for immediate institutional reform of Nigeria’s barge operations.
According to him, independent findings showed that industrial chemicals stacked at a “shipping terminal and nearby bridge locations have been seeping into surrounding waters, with minimal visible regulatory response”.
He said the development was a wake-up call to strengthen the governance and administrative architecture of Nigeria’s barge operations adding that they are currently weakly coordinated across multiple agencies.
This, he said, has left gaps in safety enforcement, vessel standards, environmental control as well as emergency response.
In direct response to this and similar recurring incidents, SEREC strongly advocates the creation of a Directorate of Barge Operations and Logistics Services (DBOLS) within the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to be headed by a Director and operationally driven by a Deputy Director of Barge Operations and Logistics Services.
This specialized Directorate would, “Enforce mandatory registration, inspection and certification of all commercial barges and tugs operating along Nigerian inland and coastal routes.
“Institute safety, loading, and environmental standards for barge construction, cargo handling and waste management.
“Develop digital traffic monitoring systems (AIS/GPS) for barge movements to prevent congestion and accidents”, Nweke said
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
Continue Reading

Business

“FCCPC Approves Sale Of Chivita|Hollandia To UAC Nigeria PLC 

Published

7 days ago

on

October 6, 2025

By

UAC of Nigeria PLC (UAC) has announced the completion of it’s in a press release on October 3, 2025, that it has completed the acquisition of Chivita|Hollandia (CHI Limited), following approval from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
Revealing this in a Press Release, at the Weekend, UAC said the transaction, first disclosed on July 30, 2025, involved the transfer of ownership of CHI Limited, a leading Nigerian food and beverage company best known for its market-dominant Chivita juice and Hollandia dairy brands, to UAC.
Commenting on the development, the Managing Director, CHI Limited, Eelco Weber, expressed optimism in the company’s future under UAC’s ownership.
“We are pleased to have received regulatory approval for this transaction. We look forward to a smooth transition and to seeing Chivita|Hollandia thrive under UAC’s ownership,” he said.
Group Managing Director of UAC, Fola Aiyesimoju, highlighted the strategic importance of the acquisition saying “We are excited to officially welcome the Chivita|Hollandia team and brands into the UAC family, and we are eager to work together to build on their strong legacy and market leadership”.
The acquisition is expected to strengthen UAC’s position in Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, expanding its footprint into the growing juice and dairy markets.
UAC further said that the acquisition aligned with its growth agenda by adding two market-leading brands and a well-established distribution network to its por.
Continue Reading

Business

PenCom Reintroduces Gratuity For Federal Civil Servants

Published

7 days ago

on

October 6, 2025

By

The National Pension Commission has said it has deployed a framework to restore gratuity for Federal Civil Service under the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Director-General of PenCom, Omolola Oloworaran, disclosed this at a Stakeholders’ Conference on the Workings of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for Employees and Pensioners of Federal Government Treasury-Funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, in Abuja, last Thursday.
Represented by the Acting Commissioner, Technical, PenCom, Hon. Hafiz Kawu Ibrahim, Oloworaran said, “Working with the office of the Head of the Civil Service, a framework has been developed to restore gratuity benefits for federal workers under CPS, in line with Section 4(4) of the PRA 2014.”
The PenCom DG added that “PenCom has enhanced pensions for over 241,000 retirees, representing 80% of those under Programmed Withdrawal. Monthly pensions rose from N12.157 billion to N14.837 billion, effective June 2025.
“Also, since July 2025, no retiree waits to access their pensions. Payments are now immediate, aligned with monthly salary releases from the Federal Ministry of Finance”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta, stated that the Commission would partner PenCom to examine the current rate of retirement benefits and recommend appropriate mechanisms for periodic reviews of retirement benefits.
Continue Reading

Trending