NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Taking forward the central government’s move towards a cashless economy, four nationalised banks along with the Corporation of City of Panaji carried out a survey on Tuesday in the municipal market to assess the present status of cashless transactions and the need to promote it.
The survey has brought to light that 99 per cent of the shops do not have a POS machine although some use an e-wallet, but only during emergencies.
In the first phase of the survey, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank met the people running clothing stores, mobile phone shops and other shops on the first floor of the marketplace.
A representative of a bank told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the purpose of the survey is to assess the average number of footfalls, transactions and usage of alternative payment modes like e-wallets.
The survey also aims to appraise the need to install point-of-sale transaction machines in the shops.
The representative said that about 99 per cent of the shops surveyed do not have a POS machine. Some of the shops use an e-wallet but only during emergency situations.
“Most of my customers are labourers who do not buy high-value items. So I don’t see the need to have a POS machine,” said Israr Ahmed, a shopkeeper who sells readymade garments in the shop 209.
Another shopkeeper Rajesh Parab, who runs a tailoring shop in the market said, “I don’t register so many transactions to afford the transaction fees and rent of the POS machine.”
Moreover, the business has been down since the demonetisation move, he said.
The first phase of the survey was conducted among the shopkeepers on the first floor of the market.
In the second phase, the survey will be conducted on Wednesday among fruit and vegetable vendors housed on the ground floor.
Last week Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said at a rally that Goa would be the first state to go cashless as Goans are using cards in a big way.