TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In keeping with the budget proposal for increasing Floor Area Ratio (FAR) for four and five star hotels by 20 per cent, the government has announced plans of chalking out a detailed policy and guidelines to implement the same, at a meeting Thursday.
This scheme will be decided on a case to case basis, while additional FAR is also proposed to be made available to all old and existing hotels and new hotels proposed to be constructed. The government has assured to come out with the new policy soon, during a deliberation with tourism stakeholders earlier this week.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar chaired the meeting along with Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar, the secretary tourism and tourism director. The tourism stakeholders were led by TTAG president Francisco de Braganca. The meeting took stock of various tourism-related issues raised by the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa.
While the hotel industry has welcomed this decision, an appeal was made for inclusion of lower category hotels for the benefits of the 20 per cent FAR. Sources in the tourism ministry say that the government has agreed to look into this request at least for 3 star hotels as well.
The Home Ministry headed by the chief minister has also directed the DGP Police to immediately implement electronic filing of “C” form as required by hotels for their foreign visitors. Presently this exercise is done manually and software has been ordered to see that it is done electronically. Parrikar assured TTAG that this would be done by October 2013.
During the meeting TTAG brought up the issue of the tussle between hoteliers and cable TV broadcasters. The government was of the opinion that there was no crime committed by the recipients of the TV signal (the hotels) and offences, if any, are committed by the cable operators in transmitting the signal unauthorizedly.
The chief minister, however, asked the Home department to place a file with all documents and judgments pronounced in such cases and after allowing the law department to examine the matter it would come out with necessary clarifications and circulars to the law enforcing agencies.
It is learnt that the TTAG proposed amendments to the Tourism Trade Act as the original Act was out dated and needed to keep pace with the changing times.
The government has again agreed to look into this matter and has sought suggestions from the TTAG.
An idea for setting up of a Vintage Car Museum in the private sector was also discussed at the meeting. TTAG cited that many cities across the world, such as Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart, have vintage car museums which attract tourists.
The chief minister requested the TTAG to place a detailed proposal and in case found viable would be given all the support from the government.
Other matters pertaining to resolving the tourist tax tussle, taxes collected by village panchayats from hotels and notices, issues raised by the Goa State Pollution Control Board to hotels and high taxes on the hospitality industry were also discussed.
The chief minister urged the hotel industry to avail of all the benefits accorded to them as an industry and agreed to look into grievances raised over the burden of huge taxes imposed.
The TTAG President who led the delegation said, “The meeting with the chief minister and the tourism minister was very fruitful and constructive. Such meetings at regular interval will go a long way in improving tourism in Goa as well as protecting the interest of the stake holders in the tourism industry.”
