In the decree, signed by the Minister of State, Economy and Digital Transition, Pedro Siza Vieira and the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, which came out in a supplement to the Official Gazette (DR), the Government indicates that "the percentage of profit in the marketing, wholesale and retail, of medical devices and personal protective equipment identified in the annex to Decree-Law No 14-E/2020, of 13 April, as well as ethyl alcohol and alcohol-based skin disinfectant gel, is limited to a maximum of 15 percent.

In parallel, the "profit percentage in the commercialisation, wholesale and retail, of rapid tests for SARS CoV-2 for the layman (autotests), with CE marking or subject to exceptional authorisation granted by Infarmed" is "limited to a maximum of 15 percent".

This order takes effect from the day following its publication.

"Considering that it is essential to continue to ensure general access to medical devices and personal protective equipment, as well as ethyl alcohol and alcohol-based skin disinfectant gel, and rapid tests for SARS CoV-2 for the layman (self-tests), with CE marking or subject to exceptional authorisation granted by Infarmed, it is important to ensure that these goods are available to consumers at fair and non-speculative prices," the authorities explain in the decree.

The government also recalls that through "Decree-Law No. 14-F/2020 of 13 April, we proceeded to the addition of Article 32-B to the aforementioned Decree-Law No. 10-A/2020, 13 March, giving the member of the Government responsible for the economy, together with the member of the Government responsible for the sectoral area, the power to determine the exceptional measures necessary to contain and limit the market, including the possibility of limiting maximum profit margins.

The law also said, with Order 4699/2020 of 18 April, "proceeded to determine these exceptional measures, regarding the percentage of profit in wholesale and retail marketing of medical devices and personal protective equipment, as well as ethyl alcohol and alcohol-based skin disinfectant gel, to ensure that these goods are available to consumers at fair and non-speculative prices, for the period when the state of emergency was in force.

The supervisors recalled that the epidemiological situation experienced "requires the continued application of extraordinary and urgent measures, including measures to ensure the supply of goods essential for public health protection.