Since the Digital Commerce Cell of the Ministry of Commerce has received complaints against 39 companies for non-payment of customer dues; AHM Safiquzzaman, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce , hopes that 34 to 35 of these companies will be able to reimburse customers. However, he warned that legal action would be taken against the e-commerce companies which are not taking steps to return the money stuck at the payment gateway to the customers by March 31. The legal steps will be taken in April in this regard.
He made the remarks at a function held at the Commerce Ministry’s conference room on Monday (March 21) to return the money to customers at Shrestha.com and Alif World’s Payment Gateway.
Tk. 17 lakh was refunded to 11 subscribers of Shrestha.com and Tk. 26 lakh was refunded to 21 subscribers of Alif World.
Speaking on the occasion, Safiquzzaman said that those who are reimbursing the money to the creditors who have about 20 crore Taka pending, they will be able to repay about two crore Taka. But the question arises is, how to return the rest of the money? Later on, there will be another complication; They may be dubious about the issue. But the thing is, they have to return the customer’s money. If they have come back, we would have given them the support they needed to get back into business.
The Additional Secretary said that in many cases it is seen that various e-commerce companies are communicating with the payment gateway operators, but they (payment gateway operators) are slowing down. What makes them slow? They are not supposed to go slow. I am giving a letter to Bangladesh Bank to see what is happening here. My Pay, Surya Pay and another big organization, we need to see about them. If these payment gateways become wind, then there will be nothing left. That is why we are aware of this.
He said the government would not stop e-commerce business for some dishonest organizations, adding that e-commerce would continue for the country. But now, as before, the Ministry of Commerce is keeping an eye on the business so that no one can cheat. And to find out those who will not participate positively by contacting within March 31, I will give the list to various organizations including the police headquarters. They have not yet conveyed any message of hope to the people and they may be hiding inside the country.
“We are going to take a difficult decision by meeting the technical committee in April,” he said. That is, our agencies will take legal action against them. But the money that is stuck, we will instruct the payment gateways so that the stuck money goes to the customers within seven days. In that case there will be no objection.
