Dear WILD11 Delegates,

Thank you very much for your patience.  Some days those of us at WILD also have to remind ourselves to be patient, because we, too, await a considerable refund.

In this difficult time, we want to keep you updated as we receive news regarding WILD11 hotel, tour, and airport transfer refunds from our partner, Liberty International. India’s 1.3 billion people have been told to stay home by the National Government. This countrywide lockdown will last at least 21 days and will heavily impact everyday life and business. 

While this is indeed a unique situation, we assure you that we are doing all we can to obtain WILD11 refunds. Even on good days with no pandemic or other emergency, repatriating funds from India is a cumbersome process because of anti-terrorism and anti-corruption  policies. To keep you as fully informed as we are, below is a summary of our recent conversations with Liberty and the strict, complex process of moving funds out of India. This process is impossible given the current lock-down situation. We will continue to update you as this process unfolds itself to us. Please visit http://wild11.org/updates/refunds/ to view updates.  Once again, very sincere thanks to those of you who donated all or part of your registration fee to help WILD blunt the considerable financial impact we’ve incurred because of this postponement.  As a final reminder, if you require all or part of your registration fee to  be refunded please request it  by March 31, 2020 , and we will do so with full appreciation.

Summary:

All Hotels – no matter what size – are shut – aside the ones subpoenaed by Govt to support healthcare staff/ quarantine re-purposes. No one could ever forecast this most unique situation. On March 23, we spoke with all hoteliers. All have said the refunds will take longer than envisaged due current situation, and processes can be restarted only post 15th April, when all staff are back at work. 

In view of the above, we feel it will most likely be mid-May before refunds will be possible.

Refunds could not take place even with the funds in hand. The process of overseas remittance is very strict in India as the country (i.e. Govt) still tries to hold on to FOREX Reserves and avoid corruption. The process requires several hard copy signatures and verifications. As per our colleagues at Liberty International, any outbound remittance follows this process: 

• Invoice checked / counter signed by External CPA to authenticate that the remittance is in fact genuine
• This letter is attached to the Invoice / remittance demand certifying the same
• No matter how many remittance – he has to issue 1 letter for EACH
• These two print-outs along with remittance request from the remitter are “Physically” filed at the branch – duly signed & stamped – in original
• Yes 21st Century & a highly IT enabled country like India has an 18th century banking practice – you are 100% correct in raising eye-brows & questioning this practice
• These practices are in place to check money laundering – as you know geo-politically we’ve interesting neighbours and a lot of cash gets funnelled for black practices – this is one of the check points
• For now none of us can leave our homes
• If sent an Invoice / Refund Demand – I’ve to print it – sign it – stamp it – send it to my CPA’s Office – he counter signs the same – then it moves to my bank – in original

Best regards and many thanks,

Frank Palumbo
WILD11 Programme Manager