The National Anti-Commercial Concealment Program affirmed that all retail outlets are obligated to provide e-payment systems, starting from today, Tuesday 25.08.2020, aiming at enabling the consumers to use this system at all outlets, so that to reduce the circulation of cash.
According to its terms of reference, the Ministry of Commerce will carry out field inspection tours to monitor the commitment of all establishments, in the retail sector, of providing and using e-payment system. MC will follow up and receive any complaints from the consumers in that regard, especially in the event of not providing such service or refraining from using it. MC shall take stern measures with the maximum penalties against the non-compliant establishments.
The implementation of obliging the commercial institutions to provide e-payment systems comes as an execution of the recommendations approved by the Supreme Royal Order related to combating the commercial concealment through unifying the efforts among various government sectors and by forming a National Program for Combating the Commercial Concealment, whose main objective is to regulate the financial transactions, so that to limit the transfer and exit of funds abroad in illegal ways based on the commercial concealment.
Notably, the previous mandatory stages included in the first phase the activities of gas stations and their related services, the second phase included the workshops and auto parts stores and relevant activities, and the third phase included personal service activities such as laundries, carpets, men's and women's body-care services, while the fourth phase included groceries and food supplies.
The fifth phase also covered restaurants, including party catering, fast food, seafood, public cafes, buffets, cafeterias, mobile food vending machines, juice and ice cream shops.
The sixth and final phase includes the activities of selling meat and poultry, vegetables and fruits, bakeries, sewing shops, textiles and curtains shops, furniture, decorations, electrical and electronic devices shops, luxuries, clothes and accessories, gas, building, plumbing and electrical materials, and all other retail activities not previously mentioned or obliged.