Bill for ‘e-kalathi’ with reduced prices on 300 items, approved by the Cabinet

The creation of a digital platform that will allow consumers to locate the store that has basic consumer products at the lowest price, provides for the bill approved on Friday afternoon by the Council of Ministers. The bill was proposed by the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, which, as mentioned by the Minister, Giorgos Papanastasiou, ensured the possibility of utilizing a corresponding platform put in place by the Greek government.

In his statements to journalists, Mr. Papanastasiou stated that the bill offers the possibility for the Ministry to collect and monitor the retail prices of a total of 300 consumer products and the creation of the “e-kalathi” digital platform, for the presentation of prices. “Our priority is food, baby items and household items,” noted the Minister, stating that the platform will be developed and it is possible that more products will be added in the future.

The goal of the digital platform is to provide consumers with the best possible information on prices in the market, ensuring transparency, the ability to compare prices on a daily basis and immediate information on both prices and the availability of products that are important to households.

“The consumer will choose the products and find in which supermarket they are offered cheaper”, said the Minister, noting that there will also be the possibility to choose a set of products and the application will indicate in which supermarket he will find this set at the lowest price price.

Answering questions from journalists, Mr. Papanastasiou explained that these products will include some with their own brands, as well as some with the brands of each supermarket. He also noted that the bill will indicate that supermarkets with a turnover above a certain amount should participate in this process.

He explained that the supermarkets, after posting the price for any of the products included in the platform, will undertake not to change the price unless seven days have passed, in order to exclude the phenomenon of products that will be “barks”, as characteristically said by Minister.

Asked when the platform could be ready, Mr. Papanastasiou said that he returned on Friday from Hellas, where he had contacts so that the platform that provides corresponding services there can be used, after the necessary changes are made, in order to be ready as soon as possible. “If the bill passes the Parliament in a month, we expect to have the platform ready to operate before the end of the summer,” noted the Minister.

Asked whether the platform will be related to the Finance Minister’s proposal for products with a zero VAT rate, Mr. Papanastasiou replied that the two measures are not related.

Finally, he said that inspectors from the Ministry of Commerce will carry out regular checks, in order to confirm that the products presented on the platform have the same listed price on the supermarket shelf. “If there is a complaint from a consumer that the price was different on the platform and another on the shelf, he will face serious penalties,” he noted.

It is noted, finally, that the creation of the “e-kalathi” platform falls under the Government’s efforts to support consumers, offering a digital tool for immediate information on the prices of basic consumer products, especially in times of negative economic conditions.