Thaindian News

Panaji, Sep 11 (IANS) In a scathing criticism of the state government’s “callous” policies and “purposeless” high-expenditure projects, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has warned that investors were losing faith in Goa.
In a five-page post-budget memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Digambar Kamat Friday, GCCI president Cesar Menezes criticised the state government’s flip-flop on the casino industry. “Inviting investors first, giving them licences and then imposing all sorts of restrictions will erode investor’s confidence in the state.”

Advocating a proper framework to monitor the casino industry and a regulatory body to govern gaming, Menezes said the government needed to be clear on what it exactly wanted as far as the casino industry was concerned.

“The government should have a clear cut policy on casinos,” he said.

There are presently six offshore casinos and 12 onshore casinos operating in the state.

“In his budget speech, the chief minister said that the youth are the future of the state and we don’t wish them to squander their money in casinos and fall prey to the vices of gambling and yet the government has no policy on casinos. Instead, the government has gone ahead and granted licences to a multitude of casinos,” Menezes pointed out.

GCCI’s criticism of the state government comes two days after both onshore and offshore casinos downed their shutters for a day, in protest against the state government’s decision to hike the entry fee from Rs.200 per person to Rs.2,000 per person.

The GCCI has also criticized the proposed Rs.1,000 crore sea link from Dona Paula in Panaji to the port town of Vasco, a dream project of the chief minister.

“Such a project without any forward and backward linkages will not serve any purpose,” the memorandum said, adding that while the sea link was a good idea, the state government needed to be clearer as to the holistic nature of the mega project.