[Information] Business Competition Policy

[State Government]

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 The San Andreas State Government has identified a requirement to introduce an official policy regarding Business Competition to prevent the formation of monopolies, avoid any form of price fixing in favour of business owners and generally encourage competition between businesses.
    This document is intended to serve as the official policy and provide guidelines for the San Andreas State Governments Business Competition Policy for both individuals and Parent Companies.

2. POLICY PURPOSE AND SCOPE

• 2.1 PURPOSE
  • 2.1.1 This policy establishes the guidelines the Business Licensing Bureau will use to manage competition between businesses and the identification and management of price fixing in favour of business owners.
  2.2 SCOPE
  • 2.2.1 This policy applies to all businesses that are essential to the States economy and are defined as:
    1. Vehicle Dealerships - Not Including Used Vehicle Dealerships
    2. Marine Vehicle Dealerships
    3. Aviation Dealerships
    4. Fuel Stations
    5. Marine Fuel Stations
    6. Aviation Fuel Stations
    7. Gun Stores
    8. General Stores
    9. Loan Companies

3. BUSINESS REGISTRATION, LICENSING & OWNERSHIP

• 3.1 BUSINESS REGISTRATION & LICENSING
  • 3.1.1 Business Owners can only register a maximum of one (1) of any of the defined businesses above.
    3.1.2 The property owner (primary business owner) ((scripted owner)) is the only person who can register the business.
    1. In joint ownership, the owners must agree on who the primary business owner will be on the property records.
    2. Transferring the business or the business property from one primary owner to another will invalidate the registration, and the new primary owner must submit a new one.
    3. Business Licenses will be invalidated, and a new application must be submitted if the registration is invalidated.
    3.1.3 The Business Licensing Bureau will reject all additional requests for registration of another defined business if the applicant has an existing registration for any of the defined businesses above
    3.1.4 Primary Business Owners must ensure they comply fully with the Business Registration Process & Licensing Process
  3.2. BUSINESS OWNERSHIP
  • 3.2.1 Business Owners may only be the primary business owner of one (1) of the defined business above.
    3.2.2 Primary Business Owners who wish to purchase a different type of defined business above must sell their existing business before taking ownership of their new business.
    3.2.3 In the event of joint ownership, the Licensing Bureau and the State Government will not take any responsibility or consideration for any internal agreements between each party.

4. PARENT COMPANIES

• Below outlines the specified thresholds that a parent company is limited to owning/controlling. Where a parent company is limited to having control of a maximum of 25% of the specific market.

1. Fuel Retailers:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than four (4) of the gas stations operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.
2. General Stores:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than four (4) of the general stores operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.
3. Gun Stores:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than two (2) of the gun stores operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.
4. Boat Dealerships:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than one (1) of the boat dealerships operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.
5. Vehicle Retailers:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than two (2) of the vehicle dealerships operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.
6. Loan Companies:
   1. No parent company shall own or control more than two (2) of the Loan Companies operating within the State of San Andreas.
   2. The limit applies to a parent company's direct and indirect ownership or control, including their subsidiaries.

• While a parent company is allowed to be in control of more than one business, with a limit for each individual market, each individual subsidiary must be owned by a different person as outlined in section 3. BUSINESS REGISTRATION, LICENSING & OWNERSHIP

5. PARENT COMPAINES ALREADY EXCEEDING THE LIMITS

• 5.1 MULTIPLE BUSINESS OWNERS PRIOR TO 01/JUNE/2023
  • 5.1.1 All parent companies that currently exceed the specified ownership or control thresholds within any of the markets mentioned in section 4. PARENT COMPANIES shall be given a maximum of three (3) months to divest their excess subsidiaries and align with the established limits.
    
    5.1.2 After the three (3) month period is over, if any parent company still exceeds the limit, they will be contacted by the Business Licensing Bureau to inform them of this. They will be given two (2) weeks to divest their excess subsidiaries and align with the established limits.
    
    5.1.3 If there is no reasonable attempt by the parent company to divest the excess subsidiaries, the Business Licensing Bureau, on behalf of the San Andreas State Government, reserves the right to terminate their existing Business Registration and License.

5. SIGNATURES

• As written above, this policy is effective from 1/JUNE/2023.
  
  Signature:
  Name: Marc Ericsson
  Position: Director of Business Licensing Bureau
  Date: 26/May/2023
  
  Signature:
  Name: Lewis Langley
  Position: Governor
  Date: 26/May/2023