日本公正取引委员会周一认定，42家公司在公寓大规模修缮工程招标中存在串标行为，对其中37家公司处以总计约16亿日元（约合1020万美元）的罚款。
The Japan Fair Trade Commission recognized Monday that 42 companies had engaged in bid-rigging for large-scale repair contracts for condominiums, imposing fines totaling about ¥1.6 billion ($10.2 million) on 37 of the firms.
此次违规行为涉及东京及周边六县共171栋公寓楼的修缮工程合同。
The malpractice was found for repair work contracts for 171 condominium buildings in Tokyo and six prefectures around the capital.
这是日本公正取引委员会首次就大规模公寓修缮合同实施行政处罚。委员会还向这42家公司中的38家发出了排除措施命令（即停止违法行为并防止再发的命令）。
It was the first time for the JFTC to impose administrative punishment over large-scale condominium repair contracts. The commission also issued cease-and-desist orders to 38 of the 42 firms.
这42家公司中，有两家是修缮咨询公司——位于大阪市的Renosys（雷诺西斯）和位于东京的Sho-Sekkei（详设计）。其余40家为建筑公司，包括位于东京的Haseko Reform（长谷工改修）和Shimizu BLC（清水BLC）。
Two of the 42 firms are repair work consultation companies — Renosys in the city of Osaka and Tokyo-based Sho-Sekkei. Among the other 40 construction companies are Haseko Reform and Shimizu BLC, both based in Tokyo.
在被罚款的37家公司中，位于横滨市的Ikatsu（伊胜）被处以约3.8亿日元的罚款，金额最高。
Of the 37 fined companies, Ikatsu in Yokohama was slapped with the largest amount of penalty, at about ¥380 million.
委员会认定，这42家公司从2021年秋季或更早至去年3月，通过预先选定中标公司等方式实施串标。
The commission concluded that the 42 companies engaged in bid-rigging, such as preselecting winning companies, from autumn 2021 or before to March last year.
这171栋公寓楼的修缮合同金额从约1亿日元至约10亿日元不等，总额达约310亿日元。中标公司向咨询公司支付合同金额约5%作为情报费等费用。
The value of the repair contracts for the 171 condominium buildings ranged from around ¥100 million to roughly ¥1 billion, with the total amount reaching some ¥31 billion. Successful bidders paid about 5% of the contract value to the consulting companies as information and other fees.
中标者在由居民组成的公寓管理组合开展招标程序或比较报价作业前，就已被选定。
Winners were selected before the start of bidding procedures or work to compare cost estimates from bidders by condominium management associations comprising residents.
咨询公司将公寓管理组合要求的合同价格等未公开信息提前告知建筑公司，并进行操作，确保预定中标者中标。
The consulting companies shared undisclosed information, such as contract prices requested by condominium management associations, with construction companies in advance and maneuvered to ensure that preselected bidders would win the contracts.
由于实际支出几乎都落在公寓管理组合设定的预算范围内，串标是否推高了修缮费用仍不清楚。
It remains unclear whether the bid-rigging inflated repair costs, as actual expenses almost fell into the ranges of the budget levels set by condominium management associations.
42家公司中的部分企业向日本公正取引委员会（JFTC）表示，它们参与串标是因为这种做法已经持续了多年。
Some of the 42 firms told the JFTC that they engaged in bid-rigging because the practice had been in place for many years.
“我们严肃对待委员会的命令，将竭尽全力防止再次发生，并重获公众信任，”Renosys在声明中表示。Ikatsu表示：“我们将确保公平、适当地开展业务。”
“We take the order from the commission seriously and will do our utmost to prevent a recurrence and regain public trust,” Renosys said in a statement. Ikatsu said, “We will make sure that we run our business fairly and appropriately.”