TRAVELLERS to India are
warned not to rely on
cash while travelling in
the midst of the country’s cash
crisis.
Shameema Desai Kajee,
manager of JetStar Tours, says
the removal of INR500 and
INR1 000 bank notes from
circulation on November 8
created initial chaos for
travellers, with ATMs running
out of cash as long queues
of people waited to exchange
outdated notes. The notes
have been replaced by
redesigned INR500 and new
INR2 000 notes.
To add to this, Alet Steyn,
gm of Wendy Wu Tours South
Africa, says the operator’s
ground handlers in India have
advised there is an INR2 500
(R528) cap on debit/credit
card ATM withdrawals per day.
The limit to withdraw from
the bank is restricted to a
maximum of INR24 000
(R5 064) per week. The
government has promised
to increase limits, however
no specific date has been
announced yet, she says.
The government recently
announced that use of old
denominations would be
extended until November 24
for tourists only. However,
those travelling from November
25 need to be aware that
there is still a shortage of the
new notes in circulation and,
with the imposed restrictions
and long queues at banks
and ATMs, Alet says, it’s best
to exchange currency at the
money exchange counters at
the airport.
She also warns that the
maximum limit for exchange at
the airport is INR5 000
(R1 055) per passenger.
Alet says the situation is
expected to improve over the
coming days and weeks, and
that, hopefully, the restrictions
and availability of new currency
notes will soon ease.
Get money savvy
Wendy Wu Tours advises the
following for travel to India:
Travellers should use their
credit/debit cards as these
are widely accepted across
the country by all business
institutions. This would avoid
unnecessary problems with
long queues at the banks
and ATMs.
They must ensure they
exchange old notes for
those that have legal tender
character (the value of which
does not exceed INR5 000),
on arrival at the airport in
India.
All arriving passengers should
change foreign currency on
arrival at any of the money
exchange counters at the
airport before exiting.
India’s cash crisis – what to advise your clients
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