PANJIM: The opposition on Friday skipped the presentation on the draft Goa Tourism Promotion and Management and Regulation Bill, 2024, even as the government has extended the deadline to submit suggestions and objections to it by 15 days.
Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao said that they decided not to attend the presentation organised by the Department of Tourism since the government had extended the deadline to submit suggestions and objections to the draft bill. He said that the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) had summited him a memorandum pointing out various deviations in the proposed bill from the Tourism Policy 2020 with respect to representation for the local tourism stakeholders. The draft bill has provisions for some national bodies who had no role to play in tourism industry of Goa.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Yuri further said that the tourism body had raised the issue of high taxation, imposition of development and sustainability fee and various other issues which they claim to be draconian.
He said that he will vociferously raise concerns of tourism stakeholders in the monsoon session of Goa Assembly starting from July 15, and seek explanation from the government.
Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas stated that the opposition members will oppose the bill. He said that he had given his suggestion, objections and recommendation to the draft bill. He said that the bill was not mentioned during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting and that it be not introduced in the Assembly. Let the bill sent back to the people and all stakeholders discuss it, he said.
Viegas said that the draft bill states that if any person intending to organise an event having not more than 25 persons will have to submit an application 48 hours prior to the commencement of such event.
