Jakarta (Indonesia Window) - Since the new corona virus outbreak began in late December 2019, health masks have become an expensive rare item.

In Indonesia which has 34 cases of corona patients, mask prices have jumped 10 times the normal price.

Meanwhile in Taiwan which is geographically close to China, there is no surge in the price of health masks, according to a statement from the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) received in Jakarta on Thursday.

The price of one sheet of health mask on Formosa Island remains around 2,000 rupiahs.

Control the price

A statement from TETO stated that among efforts made by Taiwan’s Government to control the price of masks is to implement a policy of "Opening Inflows and Saving Outflows".

The experience in fighting SARS in 2003 made the Taiwan Government aware that masks are one of the anti-epidemic objects targeted by the public. Moreover, the amount of mask production in Taiwan is very limited, where more than 80 percent of the product is imported from abroad every year.

To "save the outflow", on January 24, 2020, the Taiwanese Government announced a temporary ban on health mask exports.

Thus, the availability of these goods is guaranteed and there is no surge in prices on the market.

Reporting by Indonesia Window