Rama gathers suppliers: What the “Price Mirror” platform is for

Prime Minister Edi Rama, together with Economy and Innovation Minister Delina Ibrahimaj and Finance Minister Petrit Malaj, held a meeting with representatives of supermarkets and major suppliers in the country, as part of preparations for the launch of the new digital platform “Price Mirror.”

The platform aims to create a clearer picture of product prices and how they are formed across the entire chain, from producer or importer to consumer.

Finance Minister Petrit Malaj said one of the main objectives is identifying profit margins at different stages of the supply chain.

“We want to understand the margins created in the price-formation chain, from the moment of production to the end consumer, or from import to the end consumer,” Malaj stated.

According to him, the data will help the government identify areas where it can intervene through fiscal policies, with the aim of easing the burden on consumers. In parallel, the analysis will serve to better understand the sectors involved in the supply chain and whether the applied margins are unjustified.

Rama, on the other hand, asked for concrete commitment from supermarkets and suppliers to take part in the platform’s pilot phase and to enable the transmission of price data.

The prime minister said supermarkets must submit standardized data for products, including barcodes and units of measurement, so that prices are comparable. The platform is also expected to include a list of stores and their addresses, while the displayed price must be the final consumer price, including VAT.

Another element yet to be determined is the frequency of price updates, as well as the possibility for the platform to inform consumers when a product is out of stock.

“For the citizen, the time has come for it to be very simple: to look, compare and choose,” Rama said, arguing that consumers must have access to clear information on the alternatives the market offers.

Rama stressed that the initiative does not aim to set prices or limit business profits, but to increase market transparency.

At the end of the meeting, the prime minister addressed suppliers with a direct message: “Make a profit, but let others breathe,” adding that rising costs for citizens could lead to further confrontations with businesses.