Digital Gandaki: Cash not QR

According to the annual report of Nepal Rastra Bank's Pokhara office for the financial year 080-81, there are 242,360 internet banking users in Gandaki. During this period, there are 26 lakh 49 thousand 190 mobile banking users.

Shrawn 9, 2082

Anup Poudel

Digital Gandaki: Cash not QR

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Ramesh Adhikari, the owner of a trekking equipment shop in Lakeside, says that nowadays half of the total transactions are done through mobile banking. Sometimes there is zero cash in his shop. Because most of the customers pay online.

"50 to 60 percent of my transactions are done through mobile banking." He added, "Sometimes all transactions are done through mobile banking." There is no cash here.'

There is no need to carry cash, transactions can be done easily, digital transactions are increasing in Pokhara due to the increase in the number of smartphone users. Being a tourist city, domestic tourists also do more digital transactions. Apart from Indians, foreign tourists seem to reduce digital transactions in Nepal . Therefore, although the geography is the main attraction of tourists, Pokhara and its surrounding areas see less digital transactions.  

Rastra Bank studied the migration and spending trends of foreign tourists visiting Gandaki province in the financial year 080-81. Among those involved in the study, 94.93 percent used cash, 4.97 percent used cards and 0.10 percent used mobile wallets for payment. From February 080, Phone-Pay started cross-border payments . The official said that after the start of this service, Indian tourists and businessmen are also comfortable. Ramesh narrated in a voice mixed with experience, "I see more indigenous tourists walking without carrying much money and using digital wallets". Indians have also benefited from being able to pay by phone-pay.'

Digital Gandaki: Cash not QR

Since Pokhara is a city with large financial transactions, Pokhara Bank and financial institutions and electronic wallet payment companies have also been encouraging taxi drivers, hoteliers and other businessmen to make digital payments. In order to give priority to digital transactions, an agreement regarding QR payment system was made between the wallet company E-Seva and Western Hotel Association in 2007. Accordingly, this facility was added to the hotels that do not have mobile banking facilities in Pokhara. The umbrella organization of Pokhareli businessmen, Pokhara Industry and Commerce Association, uses Iseva and Bank QR for the renewal of affiliated businessmen. Prabhu Bank provided QR code to 300 taxi drivers in Pokhara in 080 Chait.

 

 

From Pokhara's small tea shops, chatpat traders to big malls and shopping complexes, digital transactions have been prioritized. Naresh Rana, who has been running a snack shop in Nayabazaar for 5 years, has kept mobile banking QR for the last one and a half years. Stating that even those who do not carry cash come to the shop to have tea and lunch, he said, ``There is a daily transaction of 5,000 . About 2000 of that comes in QR . Sometimes not even that much .'  

According to the annual report of Nepal Rastra Bank's Pokhara office for the financial year 080-81, there are 242,360 internet banking users in Gandaki. During this period, there are 26 lakh 49 thousand 190 mobile banking users. In the period of 3 years, 140,690 internet banking and 104,836 mobile banking users have increased. There were 70 thousand 547 internet banking and 16 lakh 44 thousand 354 mobile banking users in Gandaki during the financial year 077-78.

 

Pokhara occupies 21 percent of the total population of the province. Being a business center for a large population, the capital of the province, Syangja, Myagdi, Mustang, Parbat, Tanahun, many economic transactions take place in Pokhara and Pokhara occupies a large part of the total digital transactions.

President of Pokhara Industry and Commerce Association Gokarna Karki says that within 5-7 years, Pokhara has also learned to do business through QR . "Nowadays, wherever you go in Pokhara, you will hardly find that there is QR or not. This also explains the condition and need of digital business in Pokhara,' he said, 'I myself use QR if I have to do some business of more than 500.' 

 

 

He said that it is also seen that digital transactions are not considered as money or are not business at all. He says that if small businessmen are not used to and do not understand about digital transactions, digital transactions will decrease.

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