MARGAO: In a significant development for Goa’s beach shack community, shack owners have started receiving provisional licences in August, marking a historic first that addresses one of their long-standing demands.
This early issuance of licenses, according to them, allows the shack operators to initiate the process of obtaining other necessary permissions well in advance of the tourist season. Cruz Cardozo, President of the Goa Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), expressed heartfelt gratitude to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, and Tourism Director Suneel Anchipaka for this progressive move.
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They further pointed out that traditionally, delayed licensing has been a major hurdle for shack operators, often pushing their setup timeline to as late as November. This delay not only affected their preparation but also resulted in significant revenue losses during the peak tourist months. The new timeline could potentially see shacks operational much earlier, aligning better with the start of the tourist influx.
While the early licensing is a win for the shack owners, their demand for early demarcation of shack spaces remains a priority. SOWS has acknowledged that the demarcation process is set to commence in September, which would also ensure that they can begin their preparations earlier and have a smooth start to the season.
Another key issue that has been addressed is the matter of licensing fees cost. Initially, shack owners had pushed for a reduction in fees, citing the financial strain from the previous season’s challenges. They had detailed how delays in license issuance, coinciding with parliamentary elections, had led to a substantial decline in tourist arrivals and revenue losses of up to 50% for many operators. In response to these concerns, the government has offered an alternative solution. Instead of the planned 10% increase in fees for the upcoming season, as stipulated by the existing policy, the government has agreed to maintain the current fee structure. While this isn’t the reduction operators had hoped for, it’s seen as a compromise and they have agreed to go ahead and began making the payments for the license fees, which was on pause earlier, forcing the Tourism department to extend the deadline for payments, by ten days to August 25.
On another note, the shack owners are also pushing for the immediate issuance of licenses that were held up last year, arguing that this would allow the affected operators to make timely payments for the upcoming season.
