PANJIM: The slowdown in retail trade in the State is not being helped by the unavailability of currency. The small trader, especially, is facing problems tendering small change. The situation is not being helped by the difficulty in accessing the new Rs 500.
A trader who has been in the business for over 20 years claimed to have heard of people making colour photocopies of the Rs 500 note and going around the city trying to pass it off as the genuine one.
Sanjesh Naik, a shop owner in Panjim said he was not able to complete transactions. He said, “I deal in items for daily use, from toiletries to dusters and when people come with Rs 100 , I cannot pay them because I don’t have any change.” Another problem is the issue of the new Rs 500 note. Bankers speaking off the record said the currency was available and more notes would be available in the coming days. The cluster head of a private sector bank said the problem would be sorted out by the end of the week. He said “The Rs 500 note will be distributed by our bank by the end of the week.”
