The Albanian Competition Authority has launched investigations into the increase of prices for masks, medical alcohol and disinfectants in local pharmacies.
The CA’s reaction comes after numerous citizens’ have reported in the media and on social networks that proprietors have been inflating prices to cash in on the Coronavirus pandemic. Instances have been reported since 20 February when cases of the virus increased significantly in Italy and many Albanian citizens started taking precautions.
In a press release, the CA said there has been a number of on-the-spot observations that there is a shortage of these items in the market and there has been an unjustified increase at all levels of trading. Price hikes were observed in the pharmaceutical depot and in the pharmacies.
The investigation will cover the time frame from 1 January until 31 May 2020.
At the end of February, a simple mask that once sold for 50-100 lek was selling for 1000 lek (€8). A small bottle of hand sanitizer which normally retails for around 100 lek had a price of 600 lek (€8).
