Even as funds worth around Taka 214 crore of consumers and e-commerce businesses are said to be stuck with the payment gateways, the Ministry of Commerce is thinking of imposing a 1-2 per cent service charge for disbursing the same.
Media reports maintained this adding this information was shared by the Additional Secretary to the Commerce Ministry recently.
Following a meeting between the Digital Commerce Cell or DCC with the senior officials of different ministries, departments and Government agencies, Additional Secretary to the Commerce Ministry AHM Shafiquzzaman, who is also the chief of the DCC, divulged this information during a press meet.
It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh’s central bank, Bangladesh Bank (BB), introduced the escrow service in July 2021 to regulate fraudulent e-commerce platforms following reports of anomalies and allegations brought against them of taking advance payments and not delivering products or giving refunds even as in an escrow payment service, money paid by customers gets deposited with third-party payment gateways, which in turn, withhold the amount until the e-commerce firms submit supporting documents proving the goods have been delivered already.
