22 May 2020  |   05:08am IST

Finally time to get to work? Goa says yes

The long period of lockdown due to the virus has cast a pall of gloom over the world. Working from home and interacting with people via camera or from behind the mask can make for a strange experience. However many are looking at getting back to work if only to shake off their COVOID fatigue. Cafe spoke to professionals to understand how they were handling the situation

The economic cycle has changed dramatically. Employees are now operating out of home and meetings are now being held on digital platforms. All this may sound like the ideal life but over time, the monotonous functioning in isolation can get to people. There is a sense of COVID 19 fatigue that has set in with everyone. The lockdown and the rules and regulations that now govern social interaction can be quite unnerving for some people. But it needs to be followed. What about businesses, what were people who run them doing?

Cedric Vas of Edcon said that one would have to learn to live with the virus now. He said “Before the lockdown itself, I had said that this would be with us for a while.  The general perception was that the lockdown would stop the transmission but it is still with us and cases are being registered every day. However, I firmly believe that now it is time to open the economy with proper protocols”

He also added that in all this it has to be said the migrants have been the greatest suffers. Many of them have gone but in three or four months they will return because they will not be able to earn money sitting in the village. He felt that by November around 60 percent will be up and working. 

Another entrepreneur Rohit Mehta who is in the solar, air conditioning, and white goods business said the problem was about finding labour. One kind of labour wanted the salary without the work and the other which wanted to work was now not in Goa. The business he said had been hit but the demand for air-conditioning was strong and meeting that demand would take some time.     

Blaise Costabir who manufactures water tanks said demand was never a problem but supply was. Goods, Costabir said was moving slowly around the country to the various destination spots. COVID 19 he said had not gone away and people would have to learn to live with it. He said “I always tell my people now, what has to be done today, needs to be completed before they leave, because tomorrow we may have another lockdown.”

The manufacturing of water tanks may be heavy work but so is the manufacturing of feni and the preservation of its unique place in Goan and Indian culture. Hansel Vaz of Cazulo Premium Feni said the lockdown was the busiest time for him. He said the time had come for the industry to reboot. He was now thinking seriously at looking at new markets like Southeast Asia to promote feni. With this in mind he was busy creating new content, like educational videos as well as videos presenting different concoctions. He said “This is a unique product in India and I believe we should promote it aggressively to people who come to India and Goa. Why should we promoting spirits they get in their own countries? We have to present our own spirits and I strongly believe we will be successful”. He said he was so busy; he did not feel he was away from work. He said “I did not experience any COVID fatigue, there is so much to do”.   

 

Yes everyone is quite fed up with the life one has to lead now but there are always those who seem to find a way to live their life on their own terms.