App will allow shoppers to compare price of goods

A total of 350 products are set to be included on an electronic shopping basket app called “e-kalathi”, which will allow people to compare prices depending on retail outlet and supermarket to better determine the total cost of their shopping needs.

According to daily Phileleftheros, the products will be divided into categories. Food products will include milk, cheese, yoghurt, bread, olive oil, sunflower oil, sugar, coffee, pulses, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and juices.

In terms of products for infants and toddlers, the app will allow customers to compare prices for items such as baby diapers, wipes, creams, and baby food.

In the household goods category, the products included will be detergents, washing powder, dishwashing liquid, kitchen and toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel and soap.

The initial 350 items set to be included in the “e-kalathi” app will, however, need to be approved by a decree issued by Energy Minister George Papanastasiou.

The list will also be subject to possible changes, depending on the demand of customers and on the products’ availability islandwide.

When the subject first emerged in the past weeks, Papanastasiou said the government’s plan is to include as many as 1,500 products on the digital platform.

He also added that a similar app is widely used in Greece and that the Cyprus version will be based on the same algorithm.

Moreover, a new legislation requiring businesses with an annual turnover exceeding €2 million to join the “e-kalathi” app is set to be introduced to the house plenary on Thursday.

The proposed law includes provisions to impose monetary penalties on any supermarkets that refuse to join the platform or post different prices for their products online than what they offer in store.

The digital platform is aimed at preventing profiteering when the VAT on certain products is temporarily reduced or eliminated. With its implementation, the platform will ensure fairness and transparency in pricing for consumers.