Former Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) is once again under pressure because of the procurement of masks at the beginning of the Corona pandemic. The federal government's answers to a minor inquiry by the Greens and research by Der Spiegel show that a significant proportion of the protective masks purchased at the time have now been destroyed unused.

According to government figures, around three billion masks have been disposed of in waste incineration plants so far. For the destruction alone, costs of about eight million euros were incurred - financed by taxpayers' money. And the end has not yet been reached: By the end of 2026, another 85 million masks could be added as their expiration date expires.

Billions invested - only part used

In total, the federal government had procured 5.8 billion protective masks during the pandemic. The total costs amounted to around 5.9 billion euros. However, only 2.12 billion were actually distributed. The rest remained largely unused.

Some of these stocks are currently not being disposed of, but will continue to be stored. According to the German government, this affects about 360 million masks that are the subject of ongoing court proceedings. The background is legal disputes with numerous mask suppliers over outstanding payment claims. The masks will be kept as evidence as long as the proceedings are ongoing. Here, too, it cannot be ruled out that large parts will also have to be destroyed in the end.

The mask affair thus remains a politically sensitive issue – especially in view of the billions in costs and the question of whether procurement and crisis management were sufficiently controlled.






Author. Editors
Source: REUTERS