There is hope of three companies tackling the mask crisis in Slovakia amid the coronavirus outbreak, but two of them raise doubts.
Slovakia’s Administration of State Material Reserves (ŠHR) signed contracts on Sunday, March 15. Two of them have no relevant business history. Kajetán Kičura, who heads ŠHR, said the institution has received several hundred bids, but most of them are irrelevant.
“We must believe the contracts will be fulfilled and the second half of the next week will satisfy Slovakia’s requirements,” he claimed, as quoted by Index magazine.
Zornica Banko Fashion, A-testing, and Lacorp have all pledged to supply the country with medical equipment and masks.
Founded in January
The first company, Zornica Banko Fashion, was the first to offer the provision of masks. It will produce 650,000 masks for €1.75 million. The firm has changed its business plan from shirt to mask production.
It is A-testing that raises worries. The company will earn €13.32 million when it delivers 10 million masks; one is to cost €1.11 excluding VAT, which is less than Zornica’s price of €2.70 including VAT, as reported by Index.
The firm, owned by Milan Střelec from Galanta, was established in January of this year.
