Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI)

I think that the worst is hopefully behind us and there is still reason for optimism. Now, the economy is slowly taking off. 24 lakh sq meters have been returned by SEZ promoters to GIDC and 14 lakh sq meters are expected to be returned soon. With a big land bank now available to us, we should make efforts to attract an industry that respects Goa’s ecology and generates maximum jobs per square meter of land. The Investment Promotion & Facilitation Board has to play a huge role in this. While one role of the IPB is project approval and facilitation the facilitation part leaves much to be desired. Facilitation means handholding the unit till it goes into production this starts from plot allotment to ensuring that all requisite permissions from various authorities are obtained and the required infrastructure such as roads, water, and electricity is made available to the unit. The other and more critical one is to promote and market Goa as an investment destination. If IPB could be formally associated with Goa’s industry associations, GCCI with its wealth of experience would be most willing to contribute.

The Chamber as usual persisted in its efforts. The most historic tax reform since independence in India took place just when I took over the reins as GCCI’s President. I am happy and proud that the GCCI Taxation Committee played a huge role in facilitating GST implementation by holding multiple workshops across sectors for industry, trade, and professionals as well. The other 16 committees also did good work. I would especially like to appreciate the efforts of the IT, Education, Consumer Affairs, Basic Infrastructure, Women’s Wing, Agriculture, Logistics, and IR HR Committees.

The Managing Committee based on the proceedings at the Extraordinary General Body Meeting convened on 17th October 2018, decided to sell the GCCI Verna premises. As President, it was not an easy decision to dispose of what had been a valued asset of the Chamber. But a tempered assessment made it clear that it was in the Chamber’s best interests.

At the recently held 111^th AGM of the Chamber and my last AGM as President, Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Secretary-General of FICCI had been invited as the keynote speaker. Formerly MD & CEO of National Skills Development Corporation, Mr. Chenoy, spoke on ‘Skills and Skilling in Goa”. He said that though Goa has a very high literacy rate, it was the last in employment. The high preference for wage employment over self-employment among the Goan youth, the low desire to attain higher education, and the relatively lower willingness to work among the local population were serious issues that both the Goa Government and industry needed to give serious thought to. In one of my earlier communications to you, I had mentioned that with the advent of new technology and AI, plenty of new jobs and new avenues were opening up. But it also meant getting skilled in newer areas and facing newer challenges. That was reiterated by Mr. Dilip Chenoy. He said that gig economy, flexible working hours, and multiple openings were the new buzz words.

Government must first try to align its ITIs and other skill centers to job roles. I was happy to learn from the Hon’ble Chief Minister that two skill centers- one in the north and one in the south of Goa are being set up. Mr. Chenoy had cited the example of the TV show ‘Masterchef Australia’, which he said was conceptualized due to an acute shortage of chefs in Australia to encourage people to take up this profession. I agree with him that competitions on similar lines should be organized in Goa for different skills sets desired by the industry.

For this a continuous dialogue between the government and industry is important. Lee Iacocca once said, “the most important thing I learned in school was to communicate”. This communication between all stakeholders is important. Only when each stakeholder understands and aligns his wants and needs to that of another, will any enterprise be a success.

The government is led by our young and dynamic CM. In his short time at the office, he has shown he means business. I commend the CM Dr. Pramod Sawant for remaining firm and not giving in to the unfair demand of the taxi drivers to disband the ‘Goa Miles’ taxi-aggregator service of Goa. While a win-win solution for all is to be welcomed, arm twisting by any lobby is a complete ‘no’. An alternative would be to encourage the taxi association to get together to form one more aggregator service. This would ensure competition and fair pricing and a choice for tourists and locals.

I have passed on the baton to the young, 36^th President of GCCI, Mr. Manoj Caculo. Manoj is bold, ambitious, and energetic with a forward-looking ‘do-it ‘ attitude. I am sure that the common love for the good of Goa and its economy shared by the Head of the State and the President of the Chamber will lead to a fine synergy between the government and GCCI.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!” – Zig Ziglar

I cannot claim to be great, but I know I certainly started. From the small village of Kumbharjua to Goa’s capital city, Panaji ….and then to Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry!

Fond adieu and best wishes.

Sandip Bhandare