The Fair Trade Commission yesterday issued the National Medical Equipment Co with a fine of NT$150,000 for profiteering.
The company was found selling N95 healthcare particulate respirators, that cost between NT$59 and NT$79 at retail stores, for NT$700 each.
According to the commission, officials received complaints alleging that the company was taking advantage of the increasing demand for surgical masks, especially N95 respirators.
The commission assigned an official to visit the company yesterday and it was discovered that N95 respirators were being sold at the higher price.
In addition, it was not clearly stated where the surgical masks sold at the company were made or what their invoice prices were, which was in further violation of the Fair Trade Law (
As a result, the commission decided to issue the NT$150,000 fine.
To make sure that respirators are available at all times, Secretary-General to the President, Chiou I-jen (邱義仁) said at a press conference that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has asked domestic respirator manufacturers to increase their production.
Meanwhile, during the fight against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Cabinet has the authorization to distribute all imported masks to those who need them.
In addition, the president also asked military logistics units to help produce as many masks as possible.
In response to the president's request, the Logistics Command Center immediately said that supplying masks would not be a problem.
"We still have plenty of masks in stock, so mask supply will not be a problem. Now that we have accepted the assignment, our 302nd Factory will be responsible for production and will deliver 25,000 to 30,000 masks a day," said Vice Admiral Kung Chia-cheng (
In the meantime, DPP Legislator Lee Chen-nan (
Liu said at a press conference yesterday morning that "a DPP lawmaker allegedly tried to earn some extra money by purchasing 500,000 surgical masks from retailers, then doubling the price when he sold them."
In addition to pressing the suit against Liu, Lee said that he would resign his position if prosecutors discovered any evidence to prove him guilty.
Liu said that his information came from newspaper stories and he never singled out by name any of his colleagues. I did not say it was him. So, where does this libel suit come from?" Liu said.
When approached by reporters yesterday, Minister of Justice Chen Ding-nan (
"It is an offense that merits public prosecution, so prosecutors will decide whether to start investigating this issue," he said.
Article 251 states that "a person who by threats, violence, or fraud commits one of the following offenses shall be punished with imprisonment for not more than five years:
1.Obstructs the sale or transportation of grain or other foodstuffs needed by the public, thereby causing a deficiency in the market; 2.Obstructs the sale or transportation of seed, fertilizer, raw material, or other basics needed in agriculture or industry, thereby causing a deficiency in the market."
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
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