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."
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, would pose a steep challenge to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself against a full-scale invasion, a defense expert said yesterday. Institute of National Defense and Security Research analyst Chieh Chung (揭仲) made the comment hours after the PLAN confirmed the carrier recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct “scientific research tests and training missions” in the South China Sea. China has two carriers in operation — the Liaoning and the Shandong — with the Fujian undergoing sea trials. Although the PLAN needs time to train the Fujian’s air wing and
Taiwanese celebrities Hank Chen (陳漢典) and Lulu Huang (黃路梓茵) announced yesterday that they are planning to marry. Huang announced and posted photos of their engagement to her social media pages yesterday morning, joking that the pair were not just doing marketing for a new show, but “really getting married.” “We’ve decided to spend all of our future happy and hilarious moments together,” she wrote. The announcement, which was later confirmed by the talent agency they share, appeared to come as a surprise even to those around them, with veteran TV host Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) saying he was “totally taken aback” by the news. Huang,
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) put Taiwan in danger, Ma Ying-jeou Foundation director Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said yesterday, hours after the de facto US embassy said that Beijing had misinterpreted World War II-era documents to isolate Taiwan. The AIT’s comments harmed the Republic of China’s (ROC) national interests and contradicted a part of the “six assurances” stipulating that the US would not change its official position on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Hsiao said. The “six assurances,” which were given by then-US president Ronald Reagan to Taiwan in 1982, say that Washington would not set a date for ending arm sales to Taiwan, consult
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