Prices for non-surgical masks will reach no ceiling to fight against coronavirus. This is what State Secretary for Economic Affairs Agnès Pannier-Runacher said this Monday April 27, 2020 in a press conference. A frame she said she was unwilling to as she fears it will “slow innovation down” as it goes against what was decided a few weeks back as for hand-sanitizer, which prices have reached a ceiling.
The state secretary explains this reluctance: “A mask can have different characters, whether it is the number of uses, brands eventually. For these reasons, the approach consisting in saying “there’s a maximum price” could slow down innovation”. She does not hide her will not to control prices, but it does not mean the government has no right to examine. It “follows the matter very closely to avoid any excess” she continues, explaining that for the State, a reasonable price would be “about 20 cents per use”
“The goal is to enable French to use a mask depending on their budget” she also said. And she continues: “I asked the general management board of the competition, consummation and fraud control to give me propositions within 48 hours, enabling to make sure masks will be available”. As for statements on the matter, you have to wait for a few more days. Note that in Italy, the government has decided prices will reach a ceiling, as our peers at the Huffington Post explain. An example the French State could follow.
