One of the suppliers of Taiwan’s mask rationing program has been caught importing masks made in China to fulfill orders. On Friday, President Tsai Ing-wen called the move “unforgivable”, saying that masks distributed through the rationing system must be domestically produced medical-grade masks.
Tsai said that the company’s actions exposed Taiwanese people to great risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also said that the company has damaged the reputation and trustworthiness of the nation.
Meanwhile, Premier Su Tseng-chang says that the company’s decision to bring in Chinese-made masks was based on greed and hunger for profit. He says that the company responsible still had domestically-made masks on the market, meaning that it never faced a shortage of product.
Su says that despite the company’s claims it is operating lawfully, it has engaged in fraud and violated Taiwan’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Act.