CCP Fines British Lyceum for Misleading Advertisement

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has levied a penalty of Rs5 million on British Lyceum (Pvt.) Limited due to the distribution of a deceptive advertisement.

According to a statement released by the commission, the advertisement contained inaccuracies, including a false claim that teachers could earn monthly salaries reaching Rs250,000, and an incorrect project valuation of Rs3.7 billion.

“The advertisement also falsely asserted an association with Cambridge Global UK, an inactive organization. Furthermore, it falsely indicated that prominent educators and technologists were members of the company’s Board of Directors.”

The CCP initiated an investigation following the receipt of grievances concerning the contested assertions.

“The investigation substantiated that the assertions were untrue, unsubstantiated, and misleading.”

The CCP determined that British Lyceum had contravened Section 10 of the Competition Act, 2010, through its involvement in deceptive marketing practices.

Consequently, a penalty of Rs3 million was imposed under Section 10(2)(b) for “misleading consumers,” along with an additional penalty of Rs2 million under Section 10(2)(a) for “potentially harming other businesses.”

The statement further noted that the company presented inaccurate and unsigned financial records during the course of the inquiry.

In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) had previously identified the company as potentially engaging in unauthorized activities.

“These factors were considered as aggravating circumstances when determining the final penalty amount,” stated the CCP.

“However, British Lyceum removed the advertisement subsequent to the commencement of the inquiry, which was taken into account as a mitigating factor in reducing the imposed fine.”

The commission restated its dedication to fostering equitable competition and safeguarding consumers against misleading marketing strategies.