Law aims to support small businesses, promote ease of doing business
PANAJI
The Goa Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed an all new law to govern shops and establishments which repeals the old Shops and Establishments Act, 1973, to allow small businesses to be competitive in the current digital and e-commerce business environment.
Labour Minister Atanasio (Babush) Monserrate who piloted the new law – The Goa Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) –said the law will now create conducive conditions for women to work in such businesses on par with men.
It will govern shops, commercial establishments, residential hotels, restaurants, eating houses, theatres and other places of public amusement or entertainment employing at least twenty workers and more.
The new law also repeals the existing Goa Shops and Establishments Act, 1973 (Act No. 13 of 1974) and regulates the service conditions of workers and provides an exemption from regulation to businesses which employ less than 20 workers.
“In line with the ‘ease of doing business’ policy of the government, it is necessary that the marginal and small establishments engaging less than twenty employees need to be liberalised from registration under the Act,” the law states in its statement of objects and reasons.
Monserrate, speaking on the reasoning for the bill at the consideration stage, said that digital technology has revolutionised the mode of business activities where goods and services sold online on a 24-hour basis and therefore the law had to be changed so that shops and establishments can compete with online businesses in their respective sectors.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA, Venzy Viegas, raised concern over the bill defining a ‘child’ as a person who is under 14 which he said those who have completed 14 years will be permitted to work in these businesses.
He said, furthermore the law permits businesses employing under 20 workers to be outside its purview which will lead to dangerous repercussions vis-a-vis child labour.
“Can you imagine a business where eighteen or nineteen children who are 14 and 15 years old are working and are not regulated by any law?,” Viegas asked.
Both Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Monserrate however responded that the 14-year age limit has not been changed and was the same in the old law as well.
Viegas however warned that the law will give rise to the dangerous trend of child labour in all these small businesses.
Several other Opposition MLAs including Carlos Alvares Ferreira, Viresh Borkar, Vijai Sardesai and Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao also expressed apprehension over one or the other provision in the new law.
