PANAJI: Though the state notification gave mixed signals on the implementing of the cashless initiative, Chief Minister on Monday said that it was not a compulsion and that a clarification would be issued if needed.
Fuming at the question of the notification being imposed on retailers and traders to use alternate means of payment, CM Laxmikant Parsekar said it was an appeal and not an imposition.
“The notification is an appeal as is said on the top of the notice itself. If needed, I will ask for a clarification to be given with all this confusion. I had said it would not be cent percent cashless. And for a state like Goa that is high in literacy and with a booming IT sector, we can definitely do it. But someone has twisted the notification to say it should be done by December 31,” he said.
The office of the commissioner of commercial taxes had on December 1, issued a gazette circular announcing that the state would be the first to go for cashless transactions from December 31.
“In this regard, an appeal is made to the manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, dealers and other members of the trade, to encourage cashless transactions by making use of other available modes of payment/cash transfers like Point of Sale Machines, QR code recognition and payment devices, Swipe card enabled payment systems etc. A system of transferring money over mobile phone (which need not be smart phone) would also be introduced in the recent future. Banks are also requested to create awareness regarding the ease of doing cashless transactions,” the notification said.
However, the same notice also said commercial tax officers would visit business places of dealers to verify compliance to the change and subsequently submit a compliance report.
But Parsekar said the notice was only to encourage cashless transactions and not make it mandatory. “We will only try to reduce the need for using money and instead look to use other modes like swiping cards or smartphones to pay the amount of money. There is no compulsion from the government side, so it shouldn’t be taken in the wrong manner,” he said.
He added that no action would be taken against those that didn’t want to go cashless and pointed to unwanted attention and election gimmick as being reasons the notice was taken out of context.
“There are those that want to draw mileage from this, because elections are coming close. Our idea is simple, to shift to the cashless, not by compulsion. The central government has high expectations from a state like Goa and we can do it and think they as well as us are confident to make it cashless. But we don’t want to trouble the shopkeepers or traders but is only to encourage people to go for it,” said Parsekar.
As for infrastructure needed for better connection of the cashless means, Parsekar said additional cell towers would be added if needed. “We will use this opportunity and put up more towers if needed.
