Q&A with SUMMET BHOBE, Secretary of the Goa Salon and SpaAssociation (GSSA)
The Goan: The salon and spa industry has come under a lot offlak recently due to the raids. What do you have to say?
Sumeet Bhobe: Simply put, one needs to separate the chafffrom the grain. Any industry, be it salon, mining or even healthcare, ifallowed to grow unregulated and unchecked, it brings in various unethical,unscrupulous and unsavoury players. The recent spate of raids and subsequentshutdown of these brothels masquerading as ‘Salons’ and ‘Spas’ was indeeddamaging to the image of the industry, but was also necessary to save it fromtotal ruin. I can safely say that 99% of shady establishments have ceased to existafter the raids, but the fallout is that all serious players still continue tobe under scrutiny and are routinely subjected to visits and checks by men inuniform. Because of a few bad apples, dedicated, taxpaying entrepreneurs, mostof whom are in the industry for over a decade, are bearing the brunt of theseso called checks. We are all feeling cornered and humiliated for no fault ofours.
TG: Is the creation of an association a result of theseraids?
SB: We have formed the GSSA not only to protect our rightsand instill pride in our profession, but also to help the government developthe industry as a well regulated, respectable business which will contributesignificantly to the state’s coffers.
TG: What do you think should be done to ‘clean up’ thebusiness?
SB: We are in the process of compiling a ‘White Paper’ onthe entire industry, which we will present to the Government for itsendorsement. Our aim will be to achieve
A) Education & Certification: Establish a world classcollege of Hair, Beauty & Therapy to enable aspiring professionals acquireGovernment approved Certification
B) Grading & Classification: Create a grading systemwith several horizontals for example : 1) Barber Shop 2) Beauty Parlour 3)Salon 4) Spa etc. The parameters to acquire a license for each of thesecategories will be specific and unique.
C) Vigilance & Regulation: Empower the law enforcementauthorities with Standard Operating Procedures to detect malpractices.
TG: The industry has been accused of flouting labour lawsand bringing in cheap labour from outside the country, your views?
SB: One must not confuse trafficking with labour lawviolation. In my opinion, the recent expose on the prostitution racketallegedly involving a local procuring Thai women is not indicative of labourlaw violation in the industry. I cannot speak for the industry in general, butcan safely say that each and every member of the GSSA treats his/her employeeswith dignity and pay them well. On the subject of foreign labour, our company hiresforeigners strictly with Employment Visas. The main reason for hiringforeigners in our line of work, despite the high cost is due to the Skill andCertification criteria, which are sorely lacking in India. When our institutesees light of day, we will begin to churn out well trained, certifiedprofessionals, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign labour. Remember, noone stops foreigners from opening eateries, providing personal gym training,conducting yoga workshops and yes, even operating a seasonal hair dressingsalon. Most of the reps (representatives) working for large tour operators arehere on tourist visa. These are the real labour law violations, why only pointfingers at our industry? Our’s being ahighly competitive industry with a horrendous attrition rate, the reality isthat we as employers are at the mercy of the people who work for us. Nocontract in the world can safeguard a businessman from losing his manpowerovernight, causing losses worth lakhs with no recourse from the law.
TG: What ails the industry, then?
SB: Like several other retail businesses, just a handful ofour industry members pay taxes honestly. The rest simply deal in cash anddeprive the state of revenue. It’s high time the authorities crack down onthese operators. At the same time, ruthless slapping of taxes like 10% LuxuryTax (over and above 12.36% Service Tax) is severely damaging to the industry. Ithink it’s a huge deterrent to a consumer if he is presented with a bill inwhich he / she pays 22.36% tax! Thetragedy is that all of us are bearing the burden and paying the luxury tax outof our own margins. The government should be compassionate and rationalise theLuxury Tax amount so it can be more easily absorbed by us. Obviously, passingit to the customer is out of the question!
TG: What is the average salary in the industry?
SB: A hairdresser can earn as much as Rs. 70,000 a month byway of a salary plus tips and a beauty therapist who is a fresher can start offat Rs. 7000 and can earn up to Rs. 35,000 a month.
