The e-kalathi electronic platform is being implemented in a pilot phase, starting today, with real prices for 478 products in the initial phase, which will be supplied by supermarkets on a daily basis.
In statements to CNA, the Director of the Consumer Protection Service (CPS) of the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry, Konstantinos Karagiorgis, said that the final presentation of the e-kalathi electronic platform in supermarkets took place on Friday, February 7.
Today, he added, "it will enter a pilot phase, having real prices, which will be fed by supermarkets on a daily basis, while there will also be virtual consumers to test the system and identify possible problems that may arise."
In any case, Mr. Karagiorgis continued, the pilot phase will be tested for 10 days, will close on February 20, and then, if any minor problems arise, they will be corrected and presented in final form on March 4.
"So on March 4, consumers will have the ability to monitor the prices of products included in e-kalathi, in real time, 24 hours a day, monitor the market, decide on prices according to their financial data and send their baskets, which they may want to buy from the supermarkets they choose," he noted.
He also mentioned that the platform will not be a static electronic platform.
"We will constantly monitor the needs that arise for consumers and will shape and revise it at regular intervals, in order to satisfy the usage needs of consumers," he added.
Responding to a question, Mr. Karagiorgis said that "what we, as the competent authority and as the Ministry, want to give to consumers is to provide transparency, to provide the tools that will monitor the market, they will be able to compare prices through modern tools, see the prices of consumer goods in various supermarkets and, depending on their data, decide where they want to make their purchases."
"We believe that it basically promotes transparency primarily for consumers, so that they know where the prices are, and if we also take into account the fact that in difficult economic times, the consumer, rather than going from one supermarket to another, will have, at least initially, the 478 products through an application, which he will monitor daily and make his own decisions," he added.
Asked whether the products will concern various categories, Mr. Karagiorgis said that they initially selected 478 products that constitute the basic basket of the household on a weekly basis, but their main goal is certainly to further enrich the list of these products in the coming period.
When asked how many supermarkets are participating, Mr. Karagiorgis said that approximately 22 supermarket entities will participate.
"We consider this tool to be very user-friendly and we are very happy to be able to provide exactly this tool to consumers," he noted.
Responding to a question, Mr. Karagiorgis said that anyone will be able to access the platform, the application of which will be both in web format and in the form of an application on phones.
Source: KYPE
