The prices of face masks, especially domestically produced disposables, have witnessed a drastic reduction.
The prices skyrocketed from April last year when the government issued a directive making the wearing of face masks in public compulsory.

By the middle of last year, a packet of 50 disposable face masks was going for between GH¢150 and GH¢200.

However, with local production seeing a boom in recent times, a packet of 50 homemade face masks is now selling at between GH¢10 and GH¢15.

Retail prices have slumped from GH¢1 per piece to 50Gp and 20Gp in some places.

At the CMB Market in Accra last Monday, the Daily Graphic saw a vendor selling five pieces for GH¢1 (20Gp per piece).

A number of people interviewed in Accra expressed delight at the massive reduction in the prices of face masks.

A student, Mark Obuobi, said in an interview that it was refreshing that the prices of face masks kept going down.

“It is good for me as a student to be able to buy the protective item to fight the coronavirus,” he said.

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Thirty-three-year-old Patricia Mensah, a trader at the Kaneshie Market, said although the prices of the masks were manageable, she still expected further reduction, so that ordinary people could protect themselves against the virus.

Madam Cecilia Lamptey, a vendor at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, said the drop in prices had led to increased demand, which had boosted sales.

She said on a good day, she was able to sell three packets of face masks.

All the people interviewed discounted claims in certain circles that domestically produced face masks did not provide the same level of protection as surgical masks.

Reusable affected

The increasing local production of disposable face masks has impacted negatively on the operations of local manufacturers of reusable face masks.

The Daily Graphic found out that most of the registered local face mask manufacturers who focused on the production of reusable masks for commercial purposes were either winding down their operations or had abandoned the venture.

On markets in Accra, reusable face masks are virtually non-existent.

Last year, during the early surge in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) registered 313 local manufacturers to produce reusable face masks and shields.

The manufacturers were selected based on their capacity to produce the merchandise in bulk to help in the government's effort to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Those who were granted permits to begin commercial production included already established companies that were focusing on the manufacture of other products before the pandemic emerged, while others just spurt into the business when demand for the product skyrocketed.

In separate interviews with some of the local manufacturers, they said their production had ceased due to the lack of interest in reusable face masks on the market.

“The disposable ones have taken over our business and the reusable ones that we used to produce are not purchased any longer because people are not interested in them,” Mr Collins Boateng Sarkodie of Heritage Face Mask told the Daily Graphic in an interview.

He said the business of producing reusable face masks was simply not attractive any longer and had brought losses to individuals who made investments in the venture when the pandemic emerged.

Minister assures

Commenting on the production of face masks locally, the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, said currently access to personal protective equipment (PPE), especially face masks, was not an issue for the public in the national fight against the COVID-19.

He explained that a deliberate effort was made by the government to boost local production of face masks through pragmatic policies and partnerships.

He said in ensuring the availability of the masks, they made sure quality and standards were upheld as much as possible.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, he said national PPE production had been prioritised by making it part of the five-prong national response policy.

“I am happy to say this has yielded the needed results. Today, thousands of SMEs, such as designers, tailors and seamstresses, have gone into the local production of cloth face masks under the guidance of the FDA and the Ghana Standards Authority.

“Some local manufacturers are also producing disposable surgical face masks. It has become easier than ever in the fight against COVID-19 to access a face mask. It has also become more affordable because supply currently outweighs demand,” he said.

The minister said the government would not relent in its effort to ensure that the strides made were either improved upon or sustained.