Corruption on rise, CM failed to keep his word: Goa industry body

PANAJI: In a strong indictment of the state government and chief minister Pramod Sawant, the Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) on Thursday said Sawant has failed to keep his promise of improving ease of doing business in the state and the government was making “life more miserable” for entrepreneurs.
After Goa’s rankings in the ease of doing business slipped to 24 from 21 earlier, Sawant had promised to improve the business environment in the state.
The association also made a scathing attack on the functioning of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and said “corruption has scaled new heights” in the corporation.
“Under the table rates are being fixed for every routine service. They (GIDC) have even fixed their commission for allotment of new plots in various industrial estates,” association president Damodar Kochkar said.
“What happened to the chief minister’s promise about a meeting to improve ease of doing business in Goa. Like all other political assurances, this also seems to have been forgotten. It looks like the industry is also at the bottom of his priority list,” he said.
Goa’s manufacturing sector is struggling to survive during the pandemic with demand down and a shortage of manpower and raw materials. With turnover minimal, industrial units are struggling to pay salaries and loan premiums.
“Last September at the launch of Vibrant Goa, the chief minister had announced that anyone who wants to start a business in Goa will get all required permissions and approvals immediately and they can start their businesses within 30 days. He had also spoken about sharpening powers of Goa Investment Promotion Board to make it more effective and deliver what it was supposed to do, but unfortunately it has turned out to be one more hurdle,” Kochkar said.
With the mining sector shut and tourism bleak, Goa’s manufacturing sector is the only functioning sector, said Kochkar, as he warned the state that if there was no course correction, manufacturing units would shut down too.