PANJIM: The Mayor of the Corporation of the City of Panaji, Surendra Furtado, reacting to charges made by the hotel industry was categorical in saying that the levied charges were justified as costs had gone up over time and the corporation needed the money as it is intent on giving better service to the people and industry alike.
“We have not increased any board licence. For the first board we charge Rs 200 per sq ft. Only if they install a second or third board and that too sponsored by companies, we charge extra,” Mayor Surendra Furtado told Herald, adding that all businesses, when they apply for the permissions, give a specific area and then they increase it.
“We only charge for commercial boards. The charges are for the second board,” he said justifying the taxes.
On the garbage front, the mayor asked whether a family of four generates the same amount of garbage that a hotel does. “We need to take care of this,” he said and asked, “Are the rates that were prevailing five years back the same as of today?”
He pointed that rates charged by hotels five years back are not the same but have increased.
