Saturday 20 Apr 2024

Tax waivers for hospitality industry?

R FERNANDES, Margao | JUNE 14, 2021, 11:19 PM IST

Gujarat has waived only property tax and fixed charges for electricity for the hospitality industry. Property tax has also been waived for multiplexes.

But GCCI has urged the government to waive all taxes for tourism and hospitality industry in Goa. Their reasoning is low footfalls from March 2020 till June 2021 as tourism was the mainstay of Goa. 

The pandemic has affected all classes of business and people right to the farmer. Goa is the among the top 10 most preferred tourist destination in the world. Tourism turnover is estimated to be around Rs 36,000 crore per annum. Where has all this money gone? 

The locals and the middle class are instead hit by way of taxes and in turn have to sacrifice their night’s sleep, job loss etc.

Does GCCI know how much the locals had to pay for pyres and grave digging and also for hiring of ambulances in this pandemic? Why did the locals have to suffer such exorbitant rates? Did they do anything about this?

Lakhs of tourists visit Goa every year and make a mess on the beaches and the roadsides. Does the GCCI bother to take any remedial measures to rectify the situation?

Pushing for tax waivers for the hospitality industry surely makes no sense.


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