The Danish government has said that as of next year, business such as clothing retailers, restaurants and petrol stations should no longer be legally bound to accept cash payments.

The proposal is part of a package of economic growth measures, which are being released ahead of this year’s Danish election. It aims to reduce costs and increase productivity for Danish businesses.

Finansrådet, a Danish finance industry lobbying group, says the change would free retailers from the cost of security, and the burden of managing change and notes.

Nope, can’t imagine anything wrong with the authorities having a record of every transaction you make. And I’m sure that no future government would ever deprive a citizen it didn’t like of the right to buy and sell (by, for example, disabling their ability to use their electronic cards to buy, well, anything). So, no need to worry about privacy concerns, ceding government the technological capability to render you a commercial non-person, or any of that. Let’s just thing about the money saved and the conveniences enjoyed.