NEW DELHI: The finance ministry has asked all government departments to make electronic payments to suppliers, contractors or institutions if the order value exceeds Rs 5,000, marking another step towards cashless transactions post demonetisation To attain the goal of complete digitisation of government payments, the ministry has lowered the threshold for making such payments from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5,000, an official statement said on Monday.“All the ministries and departments of the government of India have been now directed by the ministry of finance to ensure with immediate effect that all payments above Rs 5,000 to suppliers, contractors, grantee and loanee institutions etc are made by issue of payment advises only,” the statement said.Separately, the finance ministry has also asked all ministries or departments to encourage their employees to make use of debit cards for personal transactions instead of cash.It said that given the progress made in banking technology, it is assumed that each employee would be in possession of a debit/ATM card linked to his/her bank account.“Ensuring and encouraging government employees to maximise the usage of debit cards for personal related transactions instead of cash would go a long way, with the employees serving as ‘ambassadors’ for the digital push, and also motivate, encourage the general public in taking up the cause,” the ministry added.While the finance ministry has instructed PSU and private banks to waive the transaction cost for all payments made through debit cards, the road transport ministry has asked vehicle manufacturers to provide a digital tag on all new cars for e-payments at toll plazas and checkposts. Economic Affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das had last month said all government offices have been asked to use only digital payment method for making payments to stakeholders, contractors and employees.“Government organisations, PSUs and other government authorities have been advised to use only digital payment methods such as Internet banking, unified payment interface, cards and Aadhaar-enabled payment systems to make payment to all stakeholders and their employees,” he had said.Following the announcement of demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on November 8, the government has been taking a slew of measures to promote digital transactions.