People should only buy COVID-19-prevention products from licensed dealers, the Executive Yuan’s Consumer Protection Committee said on Tuesday.
The committee has received 40 complaints about allegedly illegal sales and forwarded 30 of the cases to the Food and Drug Administration, the Investigation Bureau and the Fair Trade Commission for investigation, Consumer Protection Office senior consumer ombudsman Wang Te-ming (王德明) said.
For example, some online dealers sold disinfection alcohol at NT$300 to NT$400 (US$10.70 to US$14.27) per bottle, while the retail price is only NT$60 to NT$70, Wang said.
Products containing alcohol are either classified as for medical or general use, and medical products can only be sold by dealers with licenses issued by health authorities, the committee said.
Those selling medical alcohol without license face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$2 million, Wang said, adding that licenses are also required for the sale of rapid test kits and oximeters
As the Ministry of Health and Welfare has not approved online sales of oximeters and rapid test kits, people should not buy them online, he said, adding that many allegedly illicit offerings have been reported.
Those who sell the products
without permit face fines of NT$30,000 to NT$1 million, he said.
Stockpiling disease prevention supplies, including disinfectant, with the aim of driving up prices carries prison terms of up to five years or a maximum fine of NT$5 million, he said.
Businesses that collude to drive up medical supply prices face fines of up to NT$50 million or up to 10 percent of their sales revenue in the previous fiscal year, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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