NT Reporter
Panaji
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has urged the government to introduce a mass transit system connecting major towns, airports, railway stations and bus stations across the state. It said that with major highways passing through Goa and being used as domestic roads, and with fragile taxi and bus services, a mass transit system is the need of the hour.
A GCCI delegation led by President Pratima Dhond, along with Vice-President Yatin Kakodkar, Secretary CA Rohan Bhandare and Director General Sanjay Amonkar, met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and submitted recommendations for inclusion in the forthcoming State Budget.
The memorandum covers taxation, R&D and innovation, renewable energy, agriculture, retail trade, mining, tourism, industry, MSMEs and health and wellness, with the aim of promoting sustainable growth, ease of doing business and employment generation.
GCCI said the government should not impose additional taxes or increase existing ones.
For industrial areas and MSMEs, GCCI sought higher budget allocation for roads, water supply and electricity in industrial estates, supply of raw water to reduce pressure on domestic demand, enhancement of CMRY limits through SIDBI from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore, dedicated water supply, uninterrupted power, common effluent treatment plants, fire safety infrastructure and environmental monitoring facilities. It also sought rationalisation of fire NOC norms, alignment of labour laws with national norms, LT power supply up to 150 kW for MSMEs, time-bound payments, reduction of non-productive compliances and reduction of house tax in industries outside industrial areas from Rs 200 per sqm to Rs 12 per sqm.
The Chamber proposed preferential finance through EDC for R&D capital expenditure, recognition of DSIR-approved entities as Centres of Excellence, concessional power tariff and capital
grants.
With the State Solar Policy expiring on March 31, it said a new policy should be notified in advance, sought rooftop solar subsidy rationalisation, a Rs 7,000 per kWh capital incentive for battery storage and expansion of virtual net metering up to 90 kW.
It also recommended promotion of FPOs, weekly farmers’ markets, a refund of 1 per cent market fee on processed raw cashew, introduction of retail curriculum, a Goa Retail Policy, mining corridors and green mining technologies, single-window clearances for tourism, rationalised music royalties, app-based taxis, a Goa Wellness Policy and timely payments to hospitals under DDSSY.
