MAPUSA
Casinos, luxury hotels, clubs and other high-end commercial establishments could face sharply higher trade licence fees in village panchayats, with the government proposing a new area-based regime that could see land-based casinos charged up to Rs 5,000 per sq metre annually.
Starred hotels and luxury resorts could attract a fee of up to Rs 2,000 per room or suite, while clubs, discotheques, pubs and lounges could be charged up to Rs 1,500 per sq metre under the proposed rules. The Directorate of Panchayats has published the draft Goa Panchayat Raj (Grant of Permission/Trade License and Levying of Permission Fees/Trade License Fees) Rules, 2026, inviting objections and suggestions within 15 days. The rules will come into force only after their final publication in the Official Gazette. The proposed regime seeks to standardise the way panchayats levy trade licence and permission fees by placing panchayats in two categories based broadly on their commercial, industrial and tourism potential. Panchayats would be allowed to fix their own rates through resolutions, but could not exceed the maximum ceilings prescribed under the draft without prior government approval.
For ordinary retail shops and commercial establishments in RCC structures, the annual ceiling in Category A panchayats would range from Rs 50 per sq metre for premises up to 15 sq metres to Rs 150 per sq metre for premises above 100 sq metres. Category B rates would range from Rs 30 to Rs 100 per sq metre.
The higher-end commercial sector would face steeper ceilings.
Mega retail stores, showrooms and corporate retail establishments, as well as corporate offices, banks and insurance offices, could attract up to Rs 200 per sq metre annually in Category A panchayats. The draft also proposes a new multi-year licensing option, allowing businesses to obtain licences for one, three, five or 10 years, provided the fee is paid upfront. Delays, meanwhile, could prove costly. A 10 percent late fee for every month of delay is proposed, capped at 50 percent of the annual fee. Operating without a valid licence could also attract a fine of up to Rs 5,000, besides an additional penalty of up to Rs 500 per day for a continuing violation. Seasonal beach shacks and water sports operators would also come under the proposed fee structure, with ceilings of Rs 15,000 per season and Rs 10,000 annually respectively in Category A panchayats. Traditional artisans, weavers and small agricultural producers selling their own produce within the village would be exempt, subject to conditions laid down in the draft.
