Albania to launch online platform to monitor 160 product prices

The Albanian government is launching a new online platform in early October to increase market transparency and monitor the prices of approximately 160 food and hygiene products. According to Minister of Economy and Innovation Delina Ibrahimaj, the platform will allow consumers to track price trends and compare costs across different supermarket chains and geographic regions. The initiative aims to foster competition by providing consumers with information on where to find lower prices for staples such as rice, pasta, sugar, flour, and detergents.

In addition to the digital monitoring tool, the government is collaborating with importers, producers, and retail networks to establish a list of products that will be sold at fixed prices for a three-month period. This measure is intended to stabilize costs for essential goods. The Ministry also plans to monitor the entire supply chain to identify exactly where cost increases occur, whether at the producer, collector, or retailer level.

Regarding broader economic indicators for the January-August period, Ibrahimaj reported positive trends, including a 50% increase in foreign direct investment, which reached 1.14 billion euros in the first half of the year. Growth has been particularly notable in the tourism, services, real estate, and information technology sectors.