On the 23rd, a banner announcing a discount on KF94 masks is attached to a store in downtown Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. As the price of masks gradually fell, the previous price and sales figures were revised several times. [박형기 기자]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.
According to the National Assembly settlement 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 total, 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 (PPS) purchased and stocked 150 million masks last year with 105 billion won as an additional supplementary budget.
For the smooth operation of stockpiled goods, the Public Procurement Service sells stockpiled 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. Masks have to be compulsorily released and repurchased for a fee within the expiration date, but due to an oversupply of masks in the market, there is a possibility that they will have to be released below the purchase cost, free of charge, or discarded, not to mention profit from sales. 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 pieces every year. If masks are released every year at low prices or free of charge, 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.
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