The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said on the 4th that it has completed an ex officio written investigation related to the price linkage system for supply payments to ensure fairness in plastic container supply transactions, and will begin on-site inspections starting on the 7th.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has conducted a preemptive ex officio investigation since on the 1st of last month to check whether cost increases caused by the recent surge in international oil prices and synthetic resin feedstock prices are being properly reflected in supply payments. Those surveyed are 15 commissioning corporations in three industries with high plastic container demand: food manufacturing, beverage manufacturing, and coffee franchising.
The written investigation found that these commissioning corporations conducted plastic container supply transactions worth about 320 billion won with 146 commissioned corporations over the past year.
Based on the findings, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) selected a total of seven corporations for on-site inspection: two corporations suspected of legal violations, two corporations that were unfaithful in submitting documents, and three corporations transacting with multiple commissioned corporations. On-site, the ministry plans to focus on checking for unfair transactions such as failure to conclude linkage agreements and nonpayment of supply prices. To verify whether commissioning corporations abused their superior bargaining position, the ministry will also conduct a survey of commissioned corporations that transact with the corporations in question.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) plans to respond strictly under the Win-Win Cooperation Act with improvement demands, corrective orders, and penalty points for unfair transaction practices or unlawful acts uncovered in this investigation.
Lee Eun-cheong, director general of the Win-Win Cooperation Policy Bureau at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "Through thorough on-site inspections and surveys, we will sternly crack down on unlawful acts such as split contracts to evade the supply payment linkage system or coercion to opt out of linkage jointly, and we will continuously check so that a transaction culture in which large and small corporations share the burden of materials and supplies can take root."