PANJIM: Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte on Wednesday said that the government has decided to reduce the fees for deck beds and umbrellas put up by shack operators on beaches from Rs 25,000 to Rs 15,000.
The fees were recently increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 for maximum of 20 deck beds and umbrellas. After meeting a delegation of Shack Owners Welfare Society of Goa, Khaunte said that the government is also considering reduction in garbage collection fee of Rs 10,000 which was levied from this season and that a final decision on reduction of fees will be conveyed to the shack owners in a couple of days time.
The beach shack owners have been demanding a reduction in deck bed fees, garbage fee and reduction in licence fees which is being increased by 10 per cent every year. However, the minister is learnt to have refused to reduce the licence fee.
Khaunte said that the government will formulate new beach shack policy next year as the three-year valid policy launched for erection of temporary seasonal structures such as beach shacks, deck beds, umbrellas, huts and other structures in 2019 will end this year. However, in August this year the government had granted one-year extension to the policy for the upcoming 2022-2023 tourism season on account of Covid pandemic.
