Charges on POS: Alternative scenarios at the financial staff table

The political will of the government to “solve”, in one or the other way, the issue of electronic , especially micro-transactions , express supreme sources of the Ministry of Finance (OIE) in newssit.gr. The issue of charges for electronic payments had recently been highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Harry Theocharis from the step of the House. The Minister had stressed that the government would do whatever it takes to find a solution to the issue, which employs thousands of freelancers. The sources of HYNIK point out that at the present stage, what the financial staff expects is the response of the market after the first meetings held at the Ministry of National Economy and Finance with representatives of market actors, as it has highlighted. During these meetings, the important problem faced by professionals, especially for micro-transactions using cards, was addressed, while the HYNIK also expressed optimism that with the goodwill of all, the broader dimension of the issue was completely understood, as the responsibility of the ministry is not to discredit the payment process with a card. The sources of HYMIC report in newssit.gr that everyone should do everything in their power to adopt the payment method by card, because this will ultimately benefit both citizens and market players, and of course the state, which, as they appreciate, has been understood by everyone involved. The same sources point out that it is now up to the market side to prepare and present proposals which the Ministry of Finance is prepared to hear. At the same time, they point out that because this is an existing problem and “it must be solved, it will be solved either by consensus procedures or by decisive legislative initiatives”. However, market circles with knowledge of government consultations with Visa and Mastercard schemes, banks and transaction liquidators consider as the most unlikely scenario a “one-off” decision to legislate on the issue of supplies in absentia of the above schemes, banks and transaction liquidators, according to newssit.gr. At the same time, the same sources say that the most likely possibility, i.e. that of the “consensual” solution between government – schemes, banks and clearing companies will again mean taking a legislative initiative from the point of view of government.