MARGAO
Ahead of the new tourism season, the Shack Owners Welfare Society, Goa has come out with a proposed policy for the licensing of shacks in Goa for 2023, with a proposal to allot 50 per cent of the shack licences to those from among traditional shack owners who possess a minimum of 10 year- experience and above.
The (SOWS) shack policy has further called for issuing 30 per cent licences for shack operators with 5-9 years of experience and reserve 10 per cent of the remaining licences for shack operators for those possessing 1-4 years of operating a shack.
As far as new comers in the beach shack business is concerned, the SOWS policy says that 10 per cent of the category of allocations should provide openings for newcomers who wish to enter the shack trade.
SOWS President Cruz Cardozo said the Society has submitted the beach shack licensing policy to the government for consideration since the Tourism Department had mulled formulation of a new beach shack policy.
He said the Department of Tourism should strictly enforce the licensing agreement, which prohibits the subletting of shacks. The Department of Tourism should also incorporate into the licensing agreement a regulation prohibiting the sale or assignment of a beach shack licence. The enforcement of these regulations will prevent corrupt practices and the ownership of beach shacks by non-residents who may not have the natural instincts to maintain the coast and hence the best interests of the coast in mind, he said adding that a total ban on foreigners running or operating shacks as workers should be imposed.
The SOWS has called for reduction in the application forms for beach shack from the existing fee of Rs 9,000 to Rs 1,500 per annum.
Harping on the Single Window Clearance, SOWS has proposed that a ‘single window clearance’ procedure be adopted under the aegis of the Tourism Department in a bid to do away with the requirements of obtaining multiple licences, with Cruz saying it would be advisable to collect the fees by Tourism Department and issue the permissions.
The shack owners are required to obtain approvals from government departments such as Excise, Pollution Control Board, Food and Drugs, Fire and Safety, Panchayat/ Municipality, Electricity, Health, Panchayat/ Municipality Trade licences.
He added: The shack erection/ trade licence fees will be paid directly to the relevant local self-governing body.
Proposing a working group to scrutinise and monitor shack operations, SOWS has suggested that the working group could be comprised of three senior officials of the Department of Tourism, the President, General secretary and two other representatives of the shack owners association one each from among shack owners in the North and South area; adding that the Minister of Tourism or, his representative will be the Chairperson of the group.
In the policy, the SOWS proposed that licences shall be issued as of 1 September each year and the closing date shall be 10th June. The Tourism Department must conclude procedures so that licences are allotted in the first week of August. This is required to allow licence holders to proceed to obtain the multiple other related licences which they must acquire (if not the Tourism department should start single window from this season).
Proposing a fee structure, SOWS said the fee for a shack licence will be Rs 1 lakh for “A Stretch” shacks and Rs 80,000 for “B Stretch” shacks.
As far as garbage management and disposal is concerned, the policy has proposed that all the shack owners will pay an amount of Rs 10,000 towards garbage management for each shack.
