Goa industry unhappy with budget

Industry captains in Goa have reacted unhappily with the union budget presented Friday by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji.

While the state’s apex business guild, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) said the “gloomy” budget had nothing in it for the industry here, a leading tourism body has also criticised the budget for neglecting the tourism sector.

“The industry has missed the bus. The finance minister’s speech began with aggression but promised nothing substantial to counter economic slowdown. The promised white paper on black money was also not presented,” GCCI president Manguirish Pai Raikar said.

“Fast paced industrial growth also means that there would be employment opportunities created for the youths. India should have invested in the education sector to bolster the export of our qualified manpower across the world,” Raikar said.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Gaurish Dhond said the budget had nothing in store for promoting the tourism industry in a place like Goa.

“We had submitted our demands to the union finance ministry about Goa’s tourism needs like garbage management, but we are very very sad that nothing has been taken into account,” Dhond said.

Raikar said Goa, one of India’s topmost tourism destinations, should have received some kind of grant assistance to overcome the menace of garbage, but there was none promised in the budget.

“Since it is not there in the budget, we will take up the issue again with the centre as it is the requirement of the tourism industry,” Raikar said.