Goa govt announces booster shot for Covid-hit economy

PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Friday announced several measures to revive the state’s sputtering economy, including permission for 12-hour shifts to all factories up to July 31 to offset the deficit in manpower due to current restrictions.

In a relief to the common man, all construction licences and permissions issued by local civic bodies expiring between March 1 and June 30 have been deemed to be extended up to October 31 without any additional payment. The same extension has been granted for all technical clearances and development permissions obtained from the town and country planning department.
Where motor vehicles are concerned, Sawant said fitness certificates, all types of permits, learners’ licences, driving licences, registration and any related document issued by the transport department with expiry dates between February 1 and September 30, have been deemed to be valid till September 30.
The last date for renewal of excise licences has been extended from March 31 to June 30, without any penalty, the chief minister said.
Apart from permitting 12-hour shifts in factories till July 31, the government has extended the validity of factory licences for one year. It has also deferred payment of licence fees without interest. “A self-certification scheme for factories and boilers, introduced as part of the ease of doing business initiative, states that factories shall be inspected only once in five years, instead of the usual annual inspections, with prior intimation,” Sawant said.
With a view to boost the manufacturing sector, the state government is in the process of issuing an ordinance to amend the Factories Act, 1948, wherein the existing threshold of number of workers will be enhanced from 10 to 20 for factories with the aid of power, and from 20 to 40 for factories without the aid of power.
“Approval has already been obtained from the President of India as this is a central legislation. Around 160 factories are likely to benefit from this,” the chief minister said.
He also announced the deferment of the annual instalment towards land lease premium for 2020-21 fiscal payable to the Goa Industrial Development Corporation. “The same can be paid in an equated manner over the next three years,” Sawant said.