‘Share omikron infections in Amsterdam tenfold’ • British wholesaler asked for commission in China

A British company that has helped the Dutch government with the purchase of face masks, splash goggles and jackets is being taken to court by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. State Secretary Blokhuis reported this to the House of Representatives following a publication last month in the Volkskrant.

Buyers from the British wholesaler of medical supplies Bunzl have during their work negotiated about 2 million euros in commissions for VWS from Chinese suppliers. That money was paid by the government through the purchase of the protective equipment, without the government being informed about it.

Bunzl had just promised to help with the purchase of the goods on a non-profit basis before the work. These were used for the Dutch healthcare sector, where scarcity had arisen due to the pandemic.

The ministry has asked Bunzl to repay the commissions, but the company has no plans to do so. “This is about taxpayers’ money, which is why my ministry has made every effort to rectify this irregularity. Moreover, Bunzl has stated in the article of de Volkskrant and acknowledged on its website that commissions have been negotiated. So there is no misunderstanding about that,” says Blokhuis. That is why VWS wants to recover the financial damage from the company.

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