PANAJI
The Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association (GMOEA) and Goa Mining Association (GMA) meet Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday and submitted their inputs for the Goa Budget 2021.
During their meeting with the chief minister, the delegation recommended effective usage of monies collected under District Mineral Fund (DMF) to benefit society and pending issues related to input credit benefit under GST to be effectively corrected.
While also suggesting that there should be no additional levies, the GMOEA and GMA felt that double taxation concerns and interstate transport related concerns need to be corrected.
Meanwhile, BNI Goa has put forth budget suggestions to the Chief Minister, asking him to focus on employment creation through entrepreneurial growth in alignment with the Swayampurna Goa and Vocal for Local. The BNI team headed by Rajkumar Kamat, executive director BNI Goa along with Rasik Naik, Manoj Patil, Ashfak Shah, Rita Mody Joshi and Cdr Skandan Warrier handed over the suggestions to the CM.
“Our suggestions are short term, medium term and long term,” stated Raj Kumar Kamat, elaborating, “Under the short term suggestions, we wish to focus on employment creation through the concept of ‘Vocal for Local’, which includes mechanism to ensure government contracts and purchases through Goan vendors as well as the extension of the employment subsidy scheme available for manufacturing MSMEs to services in retail sectors as well “ thereby ensuring increase in local employment. The team also suggested NGO’s be roped in as partners for Swayampurna Goa.
The suggestions include improving fish production through artificial reefs “ thereby benefiting the local ramponkars, development of plug and play galas/sheds across Goa to make it easy for MSMEs and start-ups to set up their processes. The team also recommended giving boost medical and health tourism and also utilization of government infrastructure to support private skilling in sports as well as finishing schools.
The medium-term suggestions aimed at employment creation and revenue generation which stated proactive encouragement of setting up of at least two medium size industrial units in each district. The BNI pointed out that Goa could be developed into a creative hub focusing on education, skill development, entertainment industry and technology. This also involves incubation of start-ups which aspires Goan youth and to create a monthly calendar of events to attract events focused towards economy, ecology, arts and humanities.
The long-term suggestions were about making the state into a logistic centre so that the geographical advantage of Goa could be utilized in bridging the difference between the Southern States of India and Western India. “This can become a reality with the widening of roads, new bridges and other infrastructural developments, expansion of port and completion of new airport, feels BNI. Also, with more warehousing infrastructure and godown spaces in the industrial estates would boost imports and exports,” stated Kamat. The BNI team also suggested that Mormugao Port Trust to be soon convinced into transforming as a multi-product cargo handling port.
“The CM was very receptive to most of the suggestions. He acknowledged the contribution of BNI towards Goan entrepreneurs and our vision of sustained employment creation,” said Kamat.
