Restaurants and cafes across the country disagree with the Albanian government’s proposal to ban surcharges on debit card payments and have warned that menu prices should rise to protect the sector’s low profit margins hotelier.

The Australian restaurant & The Cafe Association, in its first submission to the Reserve Bank’s payments consultation, said the move would put more pressure on inflation as costs would be recovered through other means. It would also increase additional fees on credit cards, which are not covered by the proposed ban. Nearly 40 percent of restaurant meals are paid for by credit card.

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