[단독] 30 million masks bought with 28 billion blood dollars were sold back at half price… 15 billion damage

It was found that the Public Procurement Service released 30 million masks this year at half the purchase price of the masks stored with blood tax. Since last year’s mask supply shortage, we have been stockpiling masks for emergencies, as we have been forced to circulate inventory due to the expiration date of masks.

According to the National Assembly Accounting Review Report on the 23rd, the Public Procurement Service released 30 million health masks this year at 432 won, which is less than half the purchase price of 935 won, and recorded a loss. In terms of the total amount, it sold about 28 billion won worth of masks for 13 billion won and lost 15 billion won.

The Public Procurement Service experienced a shortage of masks due to the spread of COVID-19 last year and started stockpiling masks in case a similar situation occurs in the future. The Public Procurement Service received a total of 105 billion won from the supplementary budget last year to purchase and stock up 150 million masks.

For the smooth operation of stockpiled goods, the Public Procurement Service sells non-export goods and holds the purchase cost as a revolving fund, and the remaining sales profit is covered by revenue from the special procurement account. However, the expiration date of the mask was a problem. Unlike non-ferrous metals and rare metals, masks have an expiration date, so they must be compulsorily released or purchased for a fee within the expiration date. There was even a possibility to do it.

The Public Procurement Service plans to release 40 million of the 150 million masks stockpiled to the military headquarters and local governments, and about 50 million more to the military headquarters in the second half of the year. The Public Procurement Service plans to release a significant amount of the stockpile regardless of the purchase price in order to maintain the target stockpiling amount of 150 million each year.

If the masks are released at low prices or free of charge every year to update the expiration date of the stockpiled masks, there is a high possibility that there will be a shortage of revolving funds to purchase new masks. Ultimately, it becomes a structure in which additional national taxation is inevitable.

The need for the government to preemptively stockpile masks, an essential item for infection prevention, is acknowledged in preparation for a shortage of masks due to the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19, but continuously injecting the budget into stockpiling masks due to the shortage of revolving funds will cause a burden on the finances. It is argued that there may be It is said that there is a possibility that the vicious cycle of ‘budget input → mask purchase → discharge/dispose of below cost → lack of funds → budget input’ is repeated every year.

The report explained, “The Public Procurement Service needs to establish an appropriate inventory circulation plan that combines the appropriateness of the mask release price and the possibility of a revolving fund burden, and an overall review of the need for medium and long-term mask stockpiling and sustainability.”

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