Cyprus Consumers Association criticizes failure of e-kalathi platform

The Cyprus Consumers Association reported on July 28, 2026, that the government failed to meet its goal of adding 1,000 new products to the e-kalathi electronic price-monitoring platform during the first half of the year. Instead of the promised expansion, the total number of items listed on the platform decreased from 478 to 476. The Association attributed this to a lack of decisive policy implementation, noting that legislative regulations exist but are not effectively enforced.

Contrasting the situation with Greece, where the development minister reported an average price reduction of 4% to 6% on dozens of product categories between March and June 2026 due to government measures, the Association highlighted that Cypriot consumers faced only price increases during the same period. Data from the Association shows that between March and May 2026, prices for pasta rose by 13.8%, flour by 5.71%, and pulses by 4.9%. The organization expressed significant concern regarding the current state of consumer protection policy in Cyprus, emphasizing that the absence of effective measures to curb rising costs has negatively impacted household purchasing power.