PANJIM: The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) has written to the government to salvage the fragile tourism industry through a series of relief measures such as exemption of fees and tax as well as to undertake measures to re-build image as safe tourist destination.
“The second wave of the pandemic has hit Goa in a bad way which has resulted in a shutdown of Tourism operations in Goa for the past more than three months. This is in addition to the previous period of shut down in the last year which has not allowed the industry to operate for over one year. The tourism industry has suffered tremendously once again and a lot of tourism businesses face an uphill struggle for the short & long term with severe losses and no light at the end of the tunnel. We therefore urge you to take relief measures to help the tourism industry during our time of need,” reads a letter to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant by TTAG President Nilesh Shah during a review meeting on Tuesday.
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The TTAG has sought 100 percent waiver of excise fees, to not impose late penalty fees for units making the payments now and to also not levy interest on late fees.
The TTAG urged its postponement of increase of Tourism license fees for two years that is upto 2023-24; and for 100 percent waiver of tourism fees considering that stakeholders had paid full fees for 2020-21 of whom majority did not operate for almost four months.
For organizations that have already paid full Excise and Tourism License fees, the TTAG said, should be given credit for the next financial year for the same.
The association has further sought reduction of GST for the tourism sector to give a boost to tourism sector to a flat rate of 12 percent. “Extension of moratorium on term loan EMIs upto March 31, 2022. This measure should be taken with the RBI to provide some relief against the covid-induced financial crisis,” it said. The TTAG has sought for concession of electricity bills and waiver of payment towards panchayat tax, visa fees, landing fee for charters, etc while also urging to reduce fuel prices in Goa.
Image building is another aspect emphasized by the TTAG, as it stated that Goa Tourism along with TTAG members should work together to do re-build the image of Goa.
CM Sawant in the review meeting with TTAG members along with Minister for Tourism Manohar Ajgaonkar said that Tourism is the mainstay of Goa’s economy and the work of GTDC was of particular interest.
The discussions at the meting also revolved around concession in statutory fees, sanitation charges, concession in GST, Visa Fee Waver etc to which Sawant assured to address the problems and resolve the same.
