Photo Credits: No ease of doing business in Goa, say industrialists at Goathon
Byline: The Goan Network
Pic Credit: Sagun Gawade
Create conducive environment for business
THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Leading industrialists from sectors as varied as mining, casinos, construction and retailing said that there is no ease of doing business in Goa as people have to run from pillar to post to get all the required licenses even for a small business.
The industrialists were speaking during a panel discussion at Goathon, which was organised by Prudent Media to celebrate its ten years. The discussion was moderated by Harsh Bhatkuly, editor, Business Goa.
Manoj Caculo, chairman and managing director, Caculo Group said, “I am amazed to see how many licenses are required to start a small restaurant in Goa. You need clearances from departments like health, sewerage, fire & emergency and food safety; besides, you also require shop & establishment license, you need to pay house tax and should have labour law compliance.”
Shrinivas Nayak, director of Pride Group of Casinos and Hotels, said, “Even to start a pawn shop, you need so many licenses. Increasingly, people are becoming right-to-information (RTI) activists because that gives them money and fame. The new generation is becoming activists as it is a business.”
Sections of industry have earlier also complained that certain people in Goa under the garb of being a social activist are making it extremely difficult for industries by dragging them to court in cases, which have no basis.
Industrialists complained that government ends up taking years to give them a plot in industrial estates. Datta Damodar Naik, who is into manufacturing, real-estate, bakery and logistics, said, “Seven years back, I had applied for a plot in Verna Industrial Estate. The then chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corp (GIDC), Babu Kavlekar, allotted me a plot within six months, but it was in open space.”
Datta Damodar Naik continued, “I approached the government so many times after that asking for a plot. I lost 5-6 years. It was only when Ganesh Gaonkar became GIDC’s chairman that I got a plot.”
Industrialists also pointed out that weak administration and lack of clarity about laws have become major hindrances for business in Goa. Haresh Melwani, an owner of a mining firm, said, “At the peak of mining, traders with strange addresses like Azad Maidan in Panaji and 34th January Road had registered with the government.”
Such unscrupulous elements wouldn’t have been able to do business if departments were thoroughly checking their antecedents.
Shrinivas Nayak said, “If someone makes a law, no businessmen minds following it. But, there has to be clarity as to what is the law.”
Caculo said, “I think there is lack of political will to make business environment easy. Take the case of taxi drivers overcharging for generations because there is no meter in taxis. Coastal MLAs and their supporters oppose Uber and Ola. All this is spoiling Goa’s name.”
Shrinivas Nayak also complained that government has created such environment that people don’t apply at casinos for jobs even when his company advertises jobs.
