Greece’s Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis has threatened merchants that the fines for masks price-gouging will be extraordinary high. At the same time, he claimed that had the state paid for free Rapid tests for all, the country would go bankrupt.
Speaking to Skai TV on Saturday, the minister said that there have been reported cases of price-gouging in protective masks, especially the KN95, since the government made them mandatory in supermarkets and public transport means since the Christmas Eve.
“There will be detailed inspection and the fines imposed could reach up to 1,000,000 euros,” Georgiadis said adding that merchants have time until Monday, December 27, to bring down the prices.
He said that the government has passed a law preventing, until June 30, 2022 profit margins in items such as food, masks, gloves and anti-bacterial ointments from rising more than 20% above their February 2020 levels, i.e. before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We have already imposed big fines on those who dared to flout the law,” Georgiadis said and make a reference to a specific store, which has lifted the price of enhanced protection (KN 95) masks by 42% since the government announced new measures requiring those masks, or a double regular mask, in transportation, earlier this week. “He’d better cut his prices because the fines are coming Monday,” he said.
In an interview with Mega TV on December 24, minister Georgiadis reassured that there will be no general lockdown and the economy will remain open.
Asked about providing free rapid tests to the vaccinated, the populist politician said: “If the government subsidies rapid tests for the entire population without stopping and forever, these are billions and we will go bankrupt.”
PS No, he didn’t say there was a risk of bankruptcy if the country keeps purchasing police vehicles of all kinds.
Finance it from the salaries of all the ministers and MP’s.