Coronavirus In Ghana: How hand sanitizer traders are ripping off Ghanaians

With education around coronavirus in the country gaining the attention, citizens are advised to follow good personal hygiene rules including washing of hands and the use of sanitizers as and when necessary. This is a risk reduction and preventive measure to contracting the pandemic disease.

Various shops in Ghana have increased the prices of hand sanitizers by an astronomical margin of almost a hundred percent to a thousand percent (100% - 1000%) and over.

For instance, hand sanitizers that were sold previously at about GH¢3.50 are now sold at GH¢75 or event GH¢80.

Research done by Business Insider SSA has shown that due to the excess demand from consumers for the product, producers have outrageously increased the prices for more profit.

The menace has, hence, spark various conversations on social media with people sharing their sentiments on how the prices of the products have been increased and how they are unable to purchase them.

Meanwhile, some traders have also shared that the products are on high demand and wholesale prices form producers have been increased. They claim they have no choice but to increase the prices to consumers.

No prices increased, but products are out of stock

In an interview with the Category Manager of Personal Care, PZ Cusons, Maryann Boateng told Business Insider SSA that the company has not increased the prices of the products to wholesalers and retailers.

She added that 50ml of the PZ Cusons’ hand sanitizer was sold to retailers at GH¢4.50 and not the GH¢80 sold by retailers.

Mrs Boateng hence advised that consumers should desist from panic buying of the products, the reasons for which retailers are highly inflating the prices of the products.

Updates on coronavirus in Ghana:

Four more cases of Coronavirus was confirmed in Ghana on Sunday, March 15, 2020. This brings to six, the total number of cases reported in the country.

In a press address by Ghana's Minister of Information and Ministry of Health, citizens and residents were admonished to keep calm as health authorities try to manage the situation.

All six patients were reported to be stable in condition, according to the director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Badu Sarkodie.