New grocery price portal could help reduce costs for low-income households, PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said a newly launched online platform tracking the prices of essential food products could help consumers identify the lowest available prices and reduce grocery costs, particularly for low-income households.

Speaking about the new portal, eKalata (www.ekalata.gov.ge), Kobakhidze said the initiative would improve price transparency and allow consumers to compare the cost of products included in the government's basic household basket programme.

"The platform gives the public an opportunity to monitor prices and identify the lowest prices available at a given moment," Kobakhidze said.

According to the prime minister, greater visibility of price differences between retailers could help reduce the cost of shopping for financially vulnerable households.

He said the government would pay particular attention to ensuring the platform functions effectively and provides reliable information to consumers.

"Naturally, this will help reduce the cost of the basket for particularly disadvantaged members of the population. Accordingly, we will devote special attention to the proper functioning of this platform," Kobakhidze said.

The prime minister also thanked those involved in developing the system.