The Ministry of Commerce’s plan to launch its e-kalathi price comparison platform as a Christmas gift to consumers faces uncertain prospects, despite intensified efforts for a December rollout.
During a broad meeting yesterday, Commerce Minister G. Papanastasiou expressed his desire to launch the electronic platform by December 20, enabling consumers to compare real-time prices during holiday shopping.
However, technical challenges and stakeholder cooperation may delay these plans.
The initial launch would include approximately 400 product codes in trial mode, with plans to expand to 4,000 codes by summer.
About 20 to 22 supermarkets with annual turnover exceeding €5 million will be required to update their prices daily on the platform.
Constantinos Karageorgis, Director of the Consumer Protection Service, told philenews that while the platform is technically ready, stakeholders are still addressing implementation challenges.
Some supermarkets have expressed concerns about their ability to input product codes during the busy holiday period, citing time, personnel, and administrative costs.
The Pancyprian Retail Association’s Secretary General, Marios Antoniou, emphasised that price comparisons must be based on identical product barcodes available across all participating supermarkets to avoid market disruption and consumer confusion.
Technical requirements still to be completed include connecting supermarket systems to the electronic platform and ensuring all products share identical barcodes for accurate price comparison.
