 "GST, meet, Arun Jaitley, Hasmukh Adhia,")
In an effort to promote digital and cashless economy in the country, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday announced a slew of measures in the two-day long meeting of the GST Council held here.
In this meeting, the government has decided to provide two Point of Sale (PoS) machines free of cost in one lakh villages where the population is less than 10,000. The cost will be borne by the government through the Financial Inclusion Fund.
The government will support Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to issue Rupay Kisan Cards to 4.32 crore Kisan Credit Card holders.
It was also decided that all railway passengers buying an online ticket will be given free accidental insurance cover of up to Rs 10 lakh and railway would also provide a discount of five per cent for digital payment of paid services like. catering, accommodation, retiring rooms etc. offered through its affiliates.
Sub-urban railway consumers making digital payment for monthly/seasonal tickets will get discount up to 0.5 per cent from January 1, 2017.
The government has asked the Public sector insurance companies to provide incentive, by way of discount or credit, up to 10 per cent of the premium in general insurance policies and eight per cent in new life policies of Life Insurance Corporation sold through the customer portals, if the payment is made through digital means.
All the Central Government Departments and the PSUs have been ensure that transactions charges associated with digital payment shall not be passed on to the consumers and all such expenses shall be borne by them. State Governments are also being advised to consider doing the same.
A 10 per cent discount will be available to users of Toll Plazas on National Highways using RFID card/Fast Tags
For online payment of toll at Toll Plazas on National Highways using RFID card/Fast Tags, a discount of 10 per cent will be available to users in the year 2016-17.
