PANAJI
The Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has announced a ‘COVID-19 Amnesty Scheme’ offering assistance to industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges.
As part of this initiative, the penal interest imposed on industries that were unable to pay their premiums, interest on premiums, and lease rents will be reduced to 5 per cent.
Addressing a press conference at the GIDC head office on Friday, GIDC Chairman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said the scheme will be effective from June 24 for a period of 30 days only, and will not be extended.
“The Scheme will benefit 605 industrial units spread across 18 lakh square metres of land, and help us recover nearly Rs 47 crore through premium, interest on premium and lease rent. This is a win-win situation for both the government and the industry as we aim to foster the ease of doing business and support the economic recovery,” Lourenco said, citing the decision was taken at the 385th board meeting.
He further stated that the scheme will not only generate revenue for the government but also create employment opportunities.
To avail the scheme, industries should submit a written request to Goa-IDC's Head Office or the concerned Field Manager's Office within the scheme's validity period. The industries have the option to pay their dues in a single payment or make monthly installments by giving post-dated cheques in favour of the GIDC. The maximum number of installments permissible is eight to enable Goa-IDC to recover all the pending dues before the end of the current financial year.
“If the industries fail to avail the scheme within 30 days, regular penal interest will be imposed and legal action against the defaulters will be initiated for recovery of pending dues,” he added. The action will also include taking back the land and e-auctioning to generate revenue for GIDC.
Lourenco explained that the scheme is one of the strategies to enable the non-functional units to restart their operations by clearing the pending dues. Once the dues are cleared, units have options to either continue with their original activity or take up a new industrial activity or even transfer the unit to a prospective entrepreneur. “This is expected to generate employment opportunities and boost economic activity,” the Chairman reiterated.
The other important decisions taken in the Board Meeting consist of keeping plot rates of industrial estates unchanged for the current financial year to support industrial growth and create employment opportunities.
