According to CCTV (China Central Television) reported on January 29, a pharmacy belonging to the TCM company in Beijing was investigated for raising the price of masks to six times the normal price after the outbreak of the coronavirus disease intensified in the country of 1.4 billion people.
After the investigation, authorities stated that this pharmacy sold 3M model 8511CN masks for 850 yuan per box (nearly 3 million VND), while the listed price online was only 145 yuan (over 500 thousand VND). This pharmacy will be fined 3 million yuan (equivalent to over 10 billion VND) for exploiting the situation to sell masks at exorbitant prices during the time of heightened demand for supplies designed to combat the coronavirus.
Following this incident, officials from the Market Supervision Office in various districts of Beijing quickly conducted inspections of all pharmacies and medical supply stores, shopping centers, supermarkets… throughout the city, to maintain market order, stabilize prices, and ensure food and drug safety during the outbreak period.
The regulatory agency announced that it would strengthen monitoring and strictly handle any entities or individuals engaged in illegal activities such as hoarding goods to raise prices, fabricating information for profit… Pharmacies selling low-quality masks that do not meet standards will also be required to refund customers and face penalties according to regulations if discovered.
(According to CCTV, Beijing Daily)