WHERE ARE THE MASKS?

WHERE ARE THE MASKS? -

 A pharmacist speaks of her dismay: “ We don't have them… Quite simply. Since this morning, 50 people have come to my pharmacy to claim my masks. However, we do not find them. And even if we found them a few weeks ago, the prices are so exorbitant that we cannot triple them for our customers. To give an example, the box of three-ply surgical masks cost 350 dirhams for 50 pieces, or 7 to 8 dirhams for the mask. To make a minimum profit, we should sell them for 10 dirhams, which is far too high a price for people, ” she said. “ You should know that before the coronavirus crisis, these masks were sold for 2 dirhams a piece, supplier price ”. A version corroborated by another Casablanca pharmacy contacted this morning: “ No, there is none, we are out of stock. ”

Supply remains complex to manage on a large scale, given the logistical difficulties that the government decision involves. Large stores were stormed this morning.

Mehdi Bouamrani, CEO of the distribution group Dislog, explains: “ Over three days, I received 200,000 masks. For your information, this is not even a day of sales in Casablanca . Especially since the supply is not done on the retail part for the moment, or in any case very weakly. ”

“ We have to put things in perspective, we are currently managing tensions, says the CEO of the distribution group . It is a feat to transform textile factories into mask producers with the quality and supply management that go with it. The installation in the field will take a little more time. You should know that in Morocco, we have 100,000 very scattered retailers. It is therefore easier to go to a central purchasing office to ensure supplies. The department is struggling, but it is true that it is not their core business. ”

“The supplies started with the supermarkets Marjane, BIM and Carrefour. You should know that they were delivered on the basis of the first Official Bulletin at 2 or 2.5 dirhams the mask, then there was the decision to subsidise at 80 cents the mask. Events are rushing, but I think that within a week to 10 days, everything will be back to normal. Because today, even if masks are mandatory, we cannot guarantee consumers that they will find them. ”

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