Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa’s Logistics Policy which has been long languishing in the lurch for quite a while is likely to see the light of the day by the end of this year. This was revealed by the Director of Industry, Trade and Commerce Shwetika Sachan while speaking in panel discussion of one-day Export Conclave 2022 on Tuesday which was inaugurated by the Governor of Goa PS Sreedharan Pillai.
The conclave was organised by the apex body of exporters Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) in partnership with the Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) and the panel discussion was moderated by Chairman of the FIEO, Western Region, Nandkishor Kagliwal.
Opening the panel discussion, the Director of Industries, Trade and Commerce Shwetika Sachan said, “Importance of logistics is widely recognised now. Yes, Goa has been very late in notifying and pushing this forward. However, by the end of this year we will have a very robust Logistics Policy in Goa. As State Logistics Coordination Committee we have realised how important is land as we are a land locked State. It is a challenge for us and we are trying to address that so that logistics are in place without any discomfiture.”
Director of Agriculture Nevil Alphonso while giving his talk before the panel said that since last year we are working on how agriculture produces can be exported out of Goa which has huge potential. “We have many organic products, coconuts which are grown in 26,000 hectares of land in Goa. There is a scope to export virgin and normal coconut oil. We also have black kernel rice etc. We are also promoting jackfruits and ‘mankurad’ mangoes. All these have tremendous potential to find a market in a foreign land too, said Alphonso.
President of the GCCI Ralph De Souza who also represents the hospitality industry mentioned that about 40 per cent of the tourists revisit Goa. “We need to promote hinterland tourism by engaging the locals for home-stays experience to the tourist and also develop river transportation which will ease the road traffic while the tourists as well as the locals will be able to enjoy a more beautiful and cheaper means for transportation.”
Ambar Timblo, Managing Director of Fomento Resources, a company which is into iron-ore mining revealed that before the mining closed down the State was earning Rs 17,200 crore ($3.8 billion) through foreign exchange.
Director of Civil Aviation Suresh Shanbhogue assured that even after the Mopa airport is operational, the existing Dabolim airport will continue to function. “By April 30 the ATC tower being built at Mopa will be handed over to the Airport Authority and the first phase of airport will be inaugurated later this year” said Suresh Shanbhogue.
