As per a report on The Peninsula on 17 April 2024, commercial outlets not providing electronic payment services to consumers can face temporary closure, said a top official.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) has mandated all commercial outlets to provide electronic payment option to customers without any additional charge for the service.
“The electronic payment services aim to facilitate consumers without taking any extra charges from them,” said Head of the Inspection Section at the Commercial Registration and Licensing Department of MoCI, Saif Al Athba.
During an interview with Qatar TV, he mentioned that failing to provide electronic payment services would result in closing down commercial outlets for 14 days or until the violation is fixed, or the administrative closure is renewed.
It is mandatory for commercial outlets to offer electronic payment services, including bank card, bank payment wallet, and QR code options.
It is following the decision No. 70 of 2022 by the Minister of Commerce and Industry for amending some provisions of the decision No. 161 of 2017 regarding general and special conditions that are required from commercial, industrial and general outlets as well as those coming under its purview.
Lengthy processes such as withdrawing from bank and carrying cash to the banks among others are involved in dealing in cash. Electronic payments help reduce the risk of counterfeit money and cash burglary.
MoCI had issued a circular to commercial outlets offering payment services through bank cards, requesting no additional charges for card usage.
Digital payments are available in various types and modes. Some of the most common methods include using debit or credit cards, internet banking, mobile wallets, digital payment apps, unified payments interface, unstructured supplementary service data (USSD), bank prepaid cards, and mobile banking.
Efforts to establish a comprehensive electronic payment infrastructure in the country have been intensified by the relevant authorities. The Qatar Central Bank (QCB) is working on developing payment and settlement systems infrastructure to create an advanced financial transfer and payment system that is in line with the latest developments in this sector.
Source: The Peninsula
Cover image: Shutterstock
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