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Coronavirus update- ‘Can’t help’: Goa government tells businesses seeking financial relief amid Covid-19 lockdown
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant had said earlier too that “from the outset of Covid-19 the state finances are also under tremendous stress due to reduction and stoppage of business activity.”
The Goa government will not be able to come to the aid of lobbies and sectors, which have been seeking financial relief after their operations were hit due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant has said.
Claiming that the Goa government was itself going through an economic crisis, the chief minister said people should not wait in anticipation that it will be able to offer relief.
“Because of Covid-19 everybody’s business is in a loss. I do not want to particularly mention any sector—big industries, small industries, (motorcycle) pilots, taxi operators—all of them have approached me via email, phone calls, and written representations asking what is being done for them,” Sawant said.
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“Right now, we are not in a position to declare any kind of package for everyone. The state itself is going through the situation in a bad position, we should all understand the government itself is going through an economic crisis. At this stage it is wrong to expect a relief package from the state government,” Sawant said.
He said the government was in the process of constituting a business revival committee that will include experts from various fields to chalk up a plan to revive the economy in the state.
Sawant had said earlier too that “from the outset of Covid-19 the state finances are also under tremendous stress due to reduction and stoppage of business activity.”
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Goa, which is heavily dependent on tourism for its revenue collections, has been hit particularly hard owing to the lockdown with several industry lobbies ranging from hoteliers, taxi operators and private bus operators approaching the government seeking dole or other concessions.
Goa’s travel industry has sought a tax holiday from the state government to help tide over the recession in the tourism sector claiming the pandemic will cost it Rs 1000 crore and could lead to job losses for around 70,000 people.
Other smaller operators have sought doles to help tide over the loss of income during this period.
