The cabinet on Wednesday approved a finance ministry decree obliging service and retail businesses to accept plastic money.

According to a ministry statement, businesses must comply within three months from the day the decree is published.

Businesses that open in the last 30 days of the three-month deadline must comply inside four months from publication of the decree.

Those opening after the three-month deadline should comply within one month, the ministry said.

Manufacturing, electricity production, water, transport, publishing, film production, radio, and computer programming businesses are exempted.

The ministry said the measure would help fight tax evasion, boost consumer protection, and help customer service.