Staff Reporter
Panaji
Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho on Wednesday announced that women entrepreneurs in the state will henceforth get 30 per cent preference in the allotment of industrial plots with the government keen on encouraging more Goan women in business.
Godinho said the government has decided to give priority to women applicants for small plots in industrial estates with the Goa IDC resolving to give women the precedence in plot allotment among the general category of applicants.
“The decision to reserve the plots was taken at the last board meeting of the GIDC held in February,” he said.
“The GIDC board resolution is aimed at building the local economy. In all future allocations women will be the first choice for small plots to bring women entrepreneurs in the forefront. One woman brings two more women forward. That is the difference between men and women doing business,” the minister said.
Godinho spoke at an MSME workshop ‘Unlocking the potential of MSMEs: Opportunities and the way forward, which was organised by the MSME development and facilitation (DFO) office, Margao and ASSOCHAM0-Goa.
The GIDC move is expected to give a boost to women-owned MSMEs. Presently women entrepreneurs as well as startups are given a preference only in the first round of the plot allotment process.
According to data released by the Centre, Goa has about 6,578 women-owned enterprises, most of which 6,467 or 98 per cent are in the micro category.
There are hardly any women owning medium enterprises in the state, as per the data.
