JEDDAH — Grocery stores and supply shops must provide e-payment solutions, effective May 10, 2020, within the initiatives for combating cover-up (tasattur), to decrease dealings in cash and ensure the safety of the citizens and expatriates, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) cited the National Program for Combating Commercial Cover-up (Tasattur) as announcing Sunday. Compulsory implementation of the means for e-payment by grocery stores and supply shops comes within the sphere of the efforts to encourage the consumer to use these means in all the sales outlets and reduce cash circulation. The municipality has given a 10-day ultimatum to grocery stores and supply shops to rectify their status and provide e-payment devices from the date of notifying the facility, Deputy Mayor for Municipality Branches Eng. Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Zahrani said. The decision is also in tandem with the precautionary measures and steps recommended by the competent health authorities to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, aside from protecting the safety of the citizens and expatriates. It is noteworthy that the National Program for Combating Commercial Cover-up (Tasattur) had started gradually making it compulsory for all retail activities to provide the means for e-payment. This will be binding on all activities by Aug. 1, 2020. The supervision and inspection teams of Jeddah Municipality, in line with the directives of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MMRA), have started compelling grocery stores and supply shops to provide e-payment means as of Sunday. The Deputy Mayor for Municipality Branches Eng. Muhammad Bin Ibrahim Al-Zahrani said that carrying out the decision comes within the efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19 and reduce cash dealings. He said that the municipality has given a 10-day ultimatum to grocery stores and supply shops to rectify their status and provide e-payment devices from the date of notifying the facility. He added that Jeddah Mayoralty has issued directives to branch municipalities to intensify field inspection rounds of grocery stores and supply shops and ensure implementation of the decision, the penalties bylaw and municipal fines on the shops and stores that do not respond.
