Greek Minister Defends Profit‑Margin Ceiling as New Price‑Comparison App Launches

Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos said the profit‑margin ceiling (plafon) applied to 63 product categories has sharply reduced monthly price increases—by a factor of 50—and increased price cuts 67‑fold. He stressed the measure is temporary, intended to shield consumers while inflation, driven mainly by international factors, remains high. The Independent Authority recently fined a large multinational almost €3 million for breaching the margin on 48 products; total fines imposed over the past two years top €20 million and have been fully paid. The ministry also reported recovering €126 million from 213 firms that had received funds without delivering investments. In the coming days the Authority will debut the digital platform “PosoKanei,” enabling shoppers to compare the prices of identical items across Greek supermarkets and other European countries. The minister reiterated that the ceiling is not a permanent solution and highlighted ongoing actions to protect national commercial interests, including a dispute over the Turkaegean trademark.