Vasco vendors take swipe at PoS machines

VASCO

Cashless transactions are being touted as swift, secure and seamless, but vendors in Vasco think otherwise: They find them costly and cumbersome.

Rejecting appeals to promote cashless transactions, shopkeepers and vegetable vendors in Vasco simply prefer to carry out their business in the traditional way of accepting cash.

Most shopkeepers and vegetable vendors told The Goan said it was impossible to go cashless, as they did not have the necessary gadgets and technology to facilitate such transactions, adding that most customers preferred paying cash.

Speaking to The Goan, a vegetable vendor, S Salim said: “Officials from Mormugao Municipal Council (MMC) and some banks had visited us and had encouraged us to go cashless. The bank officials had assured to give us card swiping machines, but till date they have failed to do so,” said Salim.

Another vegetable vendor, Ramesh Naik, said they were not well-versed with card swiping machines, and added that they were reluctant to make customers wait till the process is completed.

“Everyone is in a hurry, they buy their required vegetables from us, pay cash and proceed. We cannot compel them to pay us through ATM cards,” added Naik.

S Tappa, who runs a garment shop, also preferred cash-based business for accounting purposes.

“At the end of the day, we can tally our sales and deposit cash in the bank or pay our creditors. With receipts from swiping machines, it is difficult to maintain these receipts, and tend to get misplaced, hence we lose a record of sales carried out in the day,” said Tappa.

While traders and vendors were largely unaware about the costs and benefits of embracing cashless modes of transactions like Point of Sale terminals (swiping machines), they could be further repelled from such payment gadgets given the costs involved to own and operate them.

Sayam Betgiri, a shopkeeper at the market, felt that political leaders seemed unaware of ground realities.

“It is easy for political leaders to say “go cashless” as they do not understand the ground reality. Politicians and the rich go to big shopping malls to do their purchases and can afford to go cashless, but it is the common man and other poor people who visit our shops for their day-to-day requirements. For our customers, cashless transactions simply do not make any sense,” said Betgiri.

“Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes different announcements to go cashless and win gifts or go cashless at petrol pumps and get 0.5 per cent extra fuel. These announcements are like the big shopping malls of online sales announcing their year ending sales with discounts and gifts,” added Betgiri.

“Politicians and rich people are happy and are not affected with demonetisation and going cashless. But it is the middle income and lower income people who face the many inconveniences of a cashless society,” he pointed out.

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Vendors vent out difficulties

* Swiping machines not given

* No knowledge of technology

* Takes time to swipe cards

* Difficult to tally sales