PANAJI : Stating that the trade circular issued by the office of the commissioner of commercial taxes giving only ten days time to all the manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, dealers and other members of the trade in Goa, for adapting to cashless transaction regime, is not any “race against time”, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Friday said that his government intends to make Goa a cashless state by the end of this year, and the same should not be interpreted as forcing the traders into such a regime.
Speaking to ‘The Navhind Times’, he said that he is well aware of the existence of small vendors like vegetable and fruit sellers, small kiosk operators and so on, in cities, towns and villages of Goa, who might initially find it difficult to switch over to cashless mode.
“However, they should not worry, as the government is just introducing the advantages of cashless transactions, and they would have an option to continue accepting currency,” he maintained, pointing out, “But then I am sure that once they are accustomed to the cashless method of transaction, they themselves would accept it enthusiastically.”
Parsekar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the traders, big or small, should understand that the entire exercise of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, followed by establishing a cashless regime, is an important step towards ending the black money in the country.
“When there will be no money of any kind, how would there be black money existing in the society,” he questioned, urging people to support the government endeavour in order to liberate India from the illegal money, and bring in transparency in monitory transactions.
The Chief Minister also said the act on the part of some of the traders and merchants to charge the debit card swipe fees from their customers is illegal, and the government would keep a watch over such incidents, once the cashless regime is ushered in Goa.
“The traders just cannot do such a thing,” he reiterated.
Parsekar said that most of the state legislators regularly submit details of their assets and liabilities to the state Lokayukta, every year, and therefore, he doesn’t think it necessary for his cabinet ministers to submit their cash holdings to him, just as Union ministers file such details before the Prime Minister’s Office.
“It would just be duplication of work for my ministers,” he maintained, stating that once the deadline for the Goa legislators to submit the details of their assets and liabilities to the state Lokayukta expires, any member of the public can seek such submitted information under the Right to Information Act.
Parsekar also admitted that the common people have been facing various difficulties, post-demonetisation. “But they already know the importance of the decision and therefore, have welcomed it,” he observed, adding that the people in Gujarat and Maharashtra have already extended their support to the particular decision by making the Bharatiya Janata Party victorious at the recently held by-elections to the local bodies, in their jurisdiction.