We refuse service if we bring our own urns. Why do funeral parlors sell urns for 10,000 yuan, while Taobao sells them for 900 yuan?

The funeral home in Ningxiang City, Hunan Province has issued a notice to stop providing ashes receiving and loading services for undertakers who bring their own urns. It is said that urns are a monopoly.

Ningxiang Economic Development Zone Party Committee Secretary and Municipal Party Committee Secretary Zhou Hui said in an interview on the afternoon of December 5 that the party branch secretary and funeral director had been suspended, and ordered the Ningxiang Discipline Inspection Commission to intervene in the "sky-high price" Investigation of whether there is a transfer of interest in the urn.

Wu Ping, director of the Ningxiang City Funeral Home, said that the price of the urns is set by the funeral home after the funeral home sets its own price and reports it to the Ningxiang City Development and Reform Commission. Purchase and sale prices have literally doubled. Wu Ping believes that there is no monopoly. "There are still 200 yuan urns to choose from. Those registered in rural areas can enjoy funeral reform subsidies and receive 200 yuan urns for free."

The price of the urn is 14,880 yuan, and there is no bargaining.

On December 5, some netizens posted questions questioning the existence of a monopoly on "high-altitude" urns in Ningxiang Funeral Home.

The reason for the inquiry came from the notice from Ningxiang Funeral Home. On December 4, Ningxiang Funeral Home issued the "Notice on Stopping the Acceptance and Ash-Filling Services for the Bereaved Family's Own Urns". The notice mentioned that in order to meet the needs of the masses, our unit purchased urns with guaranteed quality and after-sales service from regular manufacturers through public bidding. In order to avoid the self-prepared urn from cracking or being damaged due to quality problems during the ash filling process, it can effectively prevent hidden dangers in production safety. The Ningxiang Funeral Home Branch has decided to stop providing urns and ashes filling services to funeral homes that bring their own urns from December 6, 2019.

Ningxiang Funeral Home is a secondary institution of Ningxiang Civil Affairs Bureau. According to information disclosed by netizens on the "Tendering Network", Ningxiang Funeral Home obtained the highest unit price of urns purchased by the government last year, 6,001 yuan each, but the prices were 12,800 yuan and 14,800 yuan respectively, with profit margins of 113 and 150 respectively.

On December 5, reporters from Fengqiuyun came to Ningxiang Funeral Home to observe the sales of "sky-high price" urns.

Opposite the crematorium of Ningxiang Funeral Home is the business hall, where the urns are placed. Walking into the business hall, an urn priced at 9,880 yuan was placed in the middle.

The hall staff said that these urns were purchased by the Ningxiang City Funeral Home through government procurement. Family members can purchase according to their financial situation. There is no such thing as forced buying and forced selling. If they are permanent residents registered in rural areas, they can enjoy subsidies from funeral reforms. After providing the deceased's rural household registration, they can receive an urn worth 200 yuan. If they feel that the quality of 200 yuan is not good, they can choose by themselves, ranging from a few hundred yuan to 14,880 yuan.

The reporter saw two urns worth 200 yuan in the lower left corner of the hall. Urns made of stone and wood were sold. On top of the 200-yuan urn, there is a wooden carved urn priced at 14,880 yuan.

A bereaved family member told The Peng reporter that in fact everyone buys a box after death, but everyone chooses a box that costs more than 1,000 yuan. For the sake of face, they can only Buy a box that costs more than 1,000 yuan. The reporter asked the staff on the spot whether this box worth tens of thousands of yuan could be discounted. Staff said the price is set by the funeral home. If it is 200 yuan, the subsidy can be deducted from the rural household registration, and no counter-offer is allowed.

"Last year, the urn's turnover exceeded 5 million yuan and was handed over to the Finance Department."

On the afternoon of December 5, the Ningxiang Civil Affairs Bureau responded to the incoming news, saying that the bureau’s party group held a special party group meeting in the morning to study and make the following decision: Instruct Ningxiang The municipal funeral home withdrew the "Notice" and continued to provide urn reception and ashes filling services; Ningxiang Funeral Home Branch Secretary Chen Luhua and Ningxiang Funeral Home Director Wu Ping were suspended from their posts. Cooperate with the Ningxiang Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and the Municipal Supervision Bureau to investigate the incident, and initiate accountability procedures based on the investigation results.

On the same day, Wu Ping, director of the Ningxiang County Funeral Home, told reporters that the "Notice" that caused controversy on the Internet was decided by the city's funeral home branch after research. The plan, which was to be implemented on December 6, has now been withdrawn. This notice has been sent to all townships via funeral van drivers, but has not yet been officially implemented.

"When the ashes come out, the temperature reaches more than 80 degrees Celsius. If the quality of the box does not meet the standards, it may cause cracks and damage." Wu Ping explained that the reason for this regulation is that the family members of the deceased will themselves Conflict caused by damage caused when the urn was brought to the funeral home.

Regarding the issue of "monopolizing the operation of high-priced urns" raised by netizens, Wu Ping said that the purchase price and profit margin of urns mentioned in media articles are basically true. The price is the market behavior after the funeral home reports to the Ningxiang Municipal Development and Reform Commission for registration based on market behavior. Funeral homes will not be forced to buy high-priced urns, but they can choose boxes that cost more than $200.

Wu Ping said that last year, Ningxiang Funeral Home cremated more than 11,000 remains, and the transaction volume of urns reached more than 5 million, all of which were donated to the Ningxiang City Finance.

"Immediately and thoroughly investigate whether the funeral home has passed on benefits." On the afternoon of December 5, Zhou Hui, Secretary of the Party Committee and Municipal Party Committee of Ningxiang Economic Development Zone, told reporters that urns should not be subject to bidding, let alone monopolistic behavior, and market issues should be decided by the market.

"Welcome the media to continue to pay attention." Zhou Hui said that the Civil Affairs Bureau has been instructed to immediately cancel the order and correct it immediately. He also asked the Disciplinary Inspection Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into whether there was any transfer of benefits and whether there were any violations of rules and regulations, which cannot be ignored.