Team Herald
PANJIM: As the mining industry breathed with relief with the abolishment of export duty on low grade ore, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar took the opportunity to appeal to mine owners to stop retrenchments of workers and focus on resumption of ore extraction.
“The government requests mine owners to expedite the process of extraction of ore as well as take care of the workers dependent on this sector for survival,” he said on Monday.
He said the State has decided to reduce taxes on mining by nearly 95 percent. “Our tax is almost nil,” he said adding, “The decision (of the State and Centre) benefits mine owners to a larger extent and therefore the companies should focus on mining rather than issuing retrenchment notices to workers.” He added that besides truck owners, barge and machinery owners are also stakeholders. “All stakeholders should benefit,” he stated. Parsekar hailed the Budget claiming it was ‘focused’. “The Budget was focused as it will take forward various essential sectors. Goa is nearly ready with the set up in most of these sectors… the decision will give us a boost,” he said. In a lighter vein, he stated that if Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was Finance Minister he would have called it “his (Parrikar’s) brainchild”.
He said, the financial support in each sector would be shared with Goa. “We will get finance for water supply projects, upgradation of government and private colleges, solid waste treatment, modernizing land records, setting up dialysis centres in district hospitals, and funds for other schemes,” he said.
