KISHOR NAIK GAONKAR
PANAJI
Goan youth could soon have a good reason to consider jobs in the private sector, with the State government in the process of setting up an employment incentive scheme to offer cash incentives to those employed in private companies.
The scheme, which is aimed at encouraging youth to pursue jobs in the private sector, would be applicable to those with a certain income level.
Disclosing details of this scheme to The Goan, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said this scheme would significantly resolve the problem of unemployment in the State.
“Unemployment is the biggest problem confronting the State government and I have taken the initiative to resolve this issue by mooting the employment incentive scheme,” explained Sawant.
“Wages in the private sector are comparatively much lower than in the government sector and if the State government offers compensation in the form of cash incentives, a growing number of youth would accept private jobs instead of looking only towards government jobs,” Sawant added.
The chief minister said conditions would be placed on the private sector to offer 80% of jobs to local youth.
“The state employment exchange is keeping a record of youth employed in the public sector and other establishments, as well as a record of unemployed youth. The employment exchange is also looking into the needs of skilled workers in the public sector.”
“We have directed the employment exchange to maintain Aadhaar card details of workers, to ascertain the exact number of Goans actually unemployed in the State, as well as number of Goan youth employed in the private sector.”
“Once we get these figures, we will decide how to disburse these incentives and employment guarantee amounts to the youth employed in the private sector,” said the chief minister.
Sawant recalled that former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar had decided to hand over Rs 3,000-4,500 as
minimum employment guarantee amount. The state government now has plans to formulate the employment incentive scheme thorough which the incentives will be offered to those youth who accept employment in private sector and not to those youth who remain unemployed and intend to take benefit of the scheme.
Casino, cigarette cess to fund scheme
PANAJI: Mindful that huge funds would be needed for this ambitious employment incentive scheme, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has plans to levy a cess on certain products and services to mobilise the required funds.
“The State government intends to declare this scheme in the next budget and a huge amount of funds would need to be allocated in the budget for this scheme,” said Sawant.
“The government has plans to levy a cess on casino, alcohol and cigarettes, which would be utilised for the employment incentive scheme.”
“Besides, funds allotted on additional social schemes will be restricted only to those needy beneficiaries, so that the money saved can also be utilised to offer incentive to those employed in the private sector,” the chief minister added.
