TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) in its pre-Budget petition before Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has requested to announce the much awaited Goa Investment Policy that aims to attract investment of Rs 5,000 crore and create 50,000 jobs in next five years in the State.
The much talked about draft of Goa Industrial/Investment policy 2013-18, that was looked as a USP to attract industrial sector thereby making Goa an industrial destination, is yet to take final shape despite the draft being ready and out in public domain almost six months back.
GSIA President Shekhar Sardessai has urged government to use the occasion of the budget to announce the Goa Investment Policy which the Industry anxiously is waiting for. The policy has been prepared by the Task Force appointed by the Government after extensive discussions with various stake holders and it is now with the Government in its final draft form.
“GSIA believes that an immediate announcement of this Policy followed by necessary statutes will go a long way in reinvigorating the depressed investment sentiments currently prevailing in the State,” Sardessai said.
He said that government should speedily announce, notify and implement the policy along with notifying all the schemes proposed in the policy. The vision of the policy is to make Goa an aspirational destination for investment for high-end manufacturing and R&D sector and the best in class tourism, education and healthcare industry while improving the environmental and social indicators of the state.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is also Minister for Finance, would be presenting Budget 2014-15 on March 5.
Apart from this, GSIA has asked government to take policy initiatives for promoting industries in the state, upgrading industrial infrastructure, modernizing the infrastructure in all existing industrial estates, creation of dedicated power and water supply facilities for each of the industrial estates.
It has also urged to make provision of space for GSIA managed industrial facilitation centers – Udyog adhar – in major industrial estates and provision of annual grants.
