PANJIM: The current Industrial Policy of Goa (announced in 2003) has been extended only upto March 31, 2016. It has also become obsolete in today’s liberalised and competitive environment. There are few takers for most of the schemes announced in the Industrial Policy. It is high time for the Goa Government to take a fresh look at the entire industrial scenario in Goa and immediately mandate creation of a vibrant Industrial Policy which expedites the whole process of industrialisation, keeping in mind the eco-sensitive nature of the State.
The same Industrial Policy of 2003 has been renewed in 2008 and 2013 and subsequently on a yearly basis since 2014. The National Skill Development Council did a study of Goa during 2013-14 and they came out with a fact that the gap between the availability of skills and the jobs was wide and there is a need for parity which could be achieved by skill development institutes. A new and fresh industrial policy can undertake all such issues with linkages of issues and make it look more progressive.
The State also needs to attract hi-tech and environment friendly industries which create high paying jobs so that our engineers and skilled technicians do not have to go outside the State looking for jobs. Industry believes that times have drastically changed and it is mandatory for the government to come out with a more progressive and time-related industrial policy.
“The prime objective of the industrial policy was to bring in or encourage existing industrial units in the state to ensure sustainable employment and not necessarily investment,” said Raj Kumar Kamat, vice president of the Goa State Industries Association. He added that Net Present Value (NPV) scheme must be continued so that the Goan industries can become competitive in the market outside the state. “Alongwith that the subsidy given to companies for employing the Goans should also continue,” added Kamat.
The newly elected Chairman of the CII, Goa Chapter Shekhar Sardessai said that, “It seems it is deemed that this current policy will be extended, but for that we have to move the government to act on this.”
Member of the Industry Committee of the Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and also the President of Verna Industrialist Association, Damodar Kochkar told Herald, “We do need a fresh new Industrial Policy for the State as it has become archaic. All industry related issues should be made online to save our time from running in the corridors of the secretariat. It should be progressive and should move with time.”
Goa can definitely be the favoured destination for setting up of industries even as Goa is a small State with limited availability of land. In fact, for this very reason, it is all the more important to have a calibrated and a strategy driven industrial growth which does not disturb the socio-economic and environmental balance.
Goa needs to clearly identify its priorities in Industries and the government should enable the entrepreneurs in the MSME Sector to get one-stop access to facilities for capacity building and skill development, credit, marketing support and quality technology. With progressive industrial policy in place, it would help the industry to execute their projects speedily and help in the economic development and employment generation in the state.
