MARGAO
Questions are being raised by small traders in the New market and Gandhi market “ the hub of commercial activity in the commercial capital “ whether the small vegetable vendor, trader or fish vendors will have to procure the devises since the government has announced no cash deals in the New Year. And, whether vendors bringing seasonal fruits and vegetables in the commercial capital from the State’s hinterland, will also be required to do business without cash transactions.
President of the Gandhi Market Vegetable and Readymade Vendors Association, Babu Azgaonkar warned the government that traders will never allow the government to succeed. “Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has announced that Goa will go cashless from the New Year. Does that mean that every trader will have to procure a machine. Is this cashless practicable for vegetable, rickshaw drivers, fishermen, the small time gram seller,” he said, while asserting that vendors and traders will never allow this cashless to succeed.
President of the New Market Traders Association Vinod Shirodkar has echoed similar sentiments. He has demanded to know whether a mango seller in the market will have to procure a machine for cashless transactions, raising questions whether the vendor will end up doing any business at the end of the day. “Let the government announce any decision on cashless economy. Our priority for the moment is our livelihood which has been affected after demonetisation,” he said.
Shirodkar also raised the question whether the government wants to go for cashless economy to bring even a small trader under the tax net. “The small traders and vendors make a living through sweat and hard work,” he said, while demanding to know whether the government wants to take away the money from this section of the society under the guise of
tax collection.
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Luizinho Faleiro, who interacted with the small time vegetable vendors selling seasonal fruits in the New market area, pointed out that these vendors come to the city only during few days of the year with the seasonal fruits, demanding to know whether they will have to come with the machines as part of the government concept of cashless economy. “How will these small traders and vendors survive in this situation,” he said, while terming the ongoing drive by the government not against black marketeers, but small time vendors and traders.
