Competition authority must recognise its responsibility, minister says

Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Iceland’s minister of business affairs, said the Competition Authority must understand that its extensive powers come with responsibility, mbl.is reported. She was speaking after a government meeting about criticism of the authority by outgoing Landsvirkjun chief executive Hörður Arnarson.

Arnarson’s article followed a decision by the Competition Appeals Committee to overturn the authority’s decision to fine Landsvirkjun 1.4 billion krónur. The committee sent the case back to the authority, which is now handling it.

Friðriksson said the authority had an important role and must conduct its proceedings professionally and with complete impartiality. She said the appeals process showed that oversight was working, but that the case also raised questions.

Asked about Arnarson’s claim that authority employees had publicly expressed negative views of Landsvirkjun during the investigation, Friðriksson said she had not read the article in detail. She added that, as minister responsible for competition matters, she had no direct involvement in the case and would not intervene. The authority now had responsibility for taking it forward, she said.