Japanese expatriates of Ggn face note ban pinch, say basic needs jeopardised

The demonetisation of higher currency notes and the shortage of cash thereafter has posed challenges for Japanese expatriates residing in Gurugram. Even as most of the Japanese expats use digital means of payments for their transactions which are mostly used for their purchases in grocery stores and dining out occasions, there are still some who have to rely on cash transactions for payments to domestic maids and payment of private tuition fees for their kids. 

Most of the Japanese expats also do not have Indian bank accounts and rely on their international banking card transactions. As some of the grocery stores still do not have the facility for accepting these international cards, it is causing difficulties for the expats to get vital items for their personal usage.  “Even though I am lucky to have my account with an Indian private bank, most of my friends do not have their accounts in Indian banks and it is causing lot of difficulties for them,” said Horiuchi  Ryou whose husband is an engineer and is employed in a Japanese construction firm in the city.

Since the Japanese in the city rely only on selected stores of the city  for their purchases, shortage of inventories due to non-availability of cash has been another pitfall of demonetisation drive for the Japanese expats.

“There has been shortage in inventories which we procure within the country for our Japanese customers,”  said Mahesh who works in Kim mega mart, a Japanese grocery story in DLF Mega Mall. There are an estimated 8,000 Japanese who are presently living in and around Gurugram. A large number of Japanese professionals are  not only employed in Japanese firms like Maruti Suzuki and Honda factories but also in various Japanese construction and auto ancilliary firms that have set their base in the city.