Development Min. threatens fines for price gougers of the mask KN95

“We have found 16 websites that increased the price of reinforced masks by 40-60%, overnight, from the Thursday when the new measures were announced, on Friday,” said Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis in an interview today with the television station Open and informed that the control document has already been prepared by the competent services of the ministry and the companies will have to prove the reason for the increase otherwise they will be faced with a severe fine depending on the turnover of the company.

“They will have to prove that, from Thursday to Friday, the supply price of the masks has increased,” the minister said, adding that he would use the law to limit the fines.

As he said, “there is a market provision that prohibits increasing the profit margin compared to February for pandemic products,” while he reiterated that, as long as there is a pandemic, this provision will be extended.

“Apart from being legal, it is also morally unacceptable for someone to want, because the pandemic is showing its teeth again, to make too much profit. I did not say that they should not make a profit and that is why I did not put a price. “I let them have a reasonable, legal profit,” he said. “Another trader wants to make a profit and another – with the arrival of Omicron – wants to make a living” added the minister and answering a relevant question clarified that if a businessman “bought from Thursday night, on Friday at an increased price is legal, if he did not do it and increased the prices it is illegal “.

As for the new measures for the coronavirus, from the new year, he said that it will concern the “super-transmitters” such as the nightclubs, emphasizing that “there is no need to panic”.