Guwahati: Today, the Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi raised concerns over the newly announced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) framework for UPI transactions, claiming that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance had not discussed the proposal.
In a post on Twitter , Gogoi said questions regarding the need for MDR had been raised during discussions with government representatives, but alleged that no specific or satisfactory answers were provided. He also claimed that the Finance Department had not presented a specific proposal on the matter before the committee.
Gogoi said the proposed changes could affect small merchants, vendors and entrepreneurs, and called for the framework to be withdrawn.
He also shared an earlier post by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who questioned the implications of the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and raised concerns over the possibility of MDR charges on UPI transactions.
Under the new framework announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a 0.4% MDR will apply to specified person-to-merchant UPI transactions above Rs 2,000 from 15th October , 2026. Person-to-person transactions will remain free, while the MDR will be capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 and above.
The government and NPCI have said the framework is aimed at supporting the long-term sustainability of the UPI ecosystem.