PANAJI
Annual budget ‘Bahi Khata’ presented by the finance minister has gone digital indicating the government’s inclination to go high-tech and also place the country in the developed bracket, feels Mangurish Raikar, former president of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). Analysing further he points out that there are no major alterations in the taxation rates in the budget indicating it to be a comfortable and satisfying budget. There are many indicators in this budget which can catapult the country to the next level.
Promoting the start-ups by creating adequate funding mechanisms, extending the ECLGs for another year to help the MSME besides providing infrastructure support will help them to sustain, grow and create new employment opportunities. “We can expect new unicorns in the coming years. The additional government spendings in the infrastructure projects, especially the Railways, roads, Har Ghar Jal Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna will not only help the country to attract new investments but will create employment for the skilled new generation youths. Agriculture promotion programs will ensure food for all and also prepare the new Agri entrepreneurs to export the value-added Agri products,” shares Raikar.
Goa can benefit from this budget if properly planned projects are presented to the centre to avail the assistance. Our youths can take up shrimp cultivation which has been prominently mentioned in the budget. They also have great potential for exports. The National ropeway project mentioned in the budget for advancement of tourism can be a booster to Goa and help in promoting the hinterlands. New trains under Vande Bharat can help bring in local tourists from different destinations. There are additional funds also made available to the States which if utilised properly can help to develop the State. Projects under Gati Shakti can be planned and logistics can be promoted in a big way. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak yojna can help develop the rural areas and also make transportation of agricultural products easy. Digitalisation process and channels to promote education in regional languages can be put to use. All these can together create a large employment at different levels, says Raikar.
Lauding the government to have effectively tackled the pandemic and reaching out to the remotest end to vaccinate the last mile citizens, Raikar says, “This proves systematic man management as also sustaining the supply chain. The resilient industry has come up from the crisis of this deadly virus and has again proved its mettle which is seen from the record collection of GST. Together with public participation specially from the government budgetary support specially through production linked incentive, battery swapping stations as well as charging stations will create new opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment. This looks to be a far-sighted visionary budget to uplift both rural as well as urban areas benefiting farmers, workers, skilled manpower, new generation entrepreneurs et al. Giving hope for rejuvenation post pandemic," analyses the former GCCI president.
