Govt sets up inter-ministerial panel to look into concerns of foreign tourists over demonetisation

An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been formed by the Government to look into requests from diplomatic corps on the demonetisation issue. The Committee is headed by an Additional Secretary. The Ministry of External Affairs referred the matter to the Department of Economic Affairs, after it received queries from various diplomatic quarters, foreign tourists and Non Resident Indians. 

Talking on the issue in New Delhi yesterday, MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said that a senior Joint Secretary from the MEA is also a member of the committee. He said they are waiting for guidance, advice and recommendation of the committee which will be then shared with those people who have approached the MEA. He said the Ministry has received some requests including those related to maintaining sufficient flow of funds to diplomatic missions following scrapping of 500 and 1000



rupees currency notes. 

Mr Swarup said some wanted to know if they could collect consular and visa fees in old notes. If so collected, they have sought to know how will those be exchanged. The Spokesman said the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps held a meeting with the MEA and brought these to their attention. He said second set of issues are --NRIs having cash, having Indian currency abroad and if somebody has money abroad, and is not travelling to India immediately, what will happen to this. 

Third set of issues is by the money changer associations abroad as India has not full convertibility, the Spokesperson said. The MEA spokesperson also cited the cases of foreign visitors, particularly those coming for medical tourism, who are approaching the ministry with a request for higher financial thresholds for money they could keep.