Cost of hand sanitizers: Manufacturers blame high price on the raw material price increase

According to the Marketing Manager of Vicky Cosmetics, manufacturers of “Bacti Gel”, they have not increased their prices to make an outrageous profit.

Joyce Akoto explained that even though the increase in price was at the time when Ghana recorded its first case of COVID-19, they did not increase it to make more money.

“Before the confirmation of COVID-19, sales of hand sanitizers were very low, people didn’t even know the importance of sanitizers,” she told the Ghana News Agency.

“People are now beginning to understand the need for hand sanitizers at all times to help prevent infections both at home, offices, workplace, markets and everywhere,” she added.

Currently, the 120-millilitre bottle of hand sanitizer, which used to sell at GHC3.00 before the outbreak is now selling at between GHC10.00 and GHC25, while the 500-millilitre bottle which used to sell at GHC25.00 is now selling at from GHC35.00 to GHC45.

A retailer of hand sanitizers, Grace Boadu, said that before the outbreak of COVID-19, people were not buying the product.

“Before the outbreak, the purchase of hand sanitizers was very low. I could order for five boxes each of which contained 40 bottles. It could take about two months before I could sell one box.”

She added that people are now buying the hand sanitizers irrespective of the price she sells it at.

Meanwhile, most Ghanaians have complained of the high prices of hand sanitizers especially at the time the country was in such a situation.

Most people have appealed to the government to intervene and reduce the prices of the hand sanitizers in order to help curb the spread of the diseases in the country.