Goa needs to do more on ease of doing business: NK Singh

Goa has to work further on ease of doing business notwithstanding the progress it has made in this regard, 15th Finance Commission chairman NK Singh said in Panaji on Friday. The two-day consultation between the Commission and the Goa government led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant ended on Friday.

Sawant made a presentation before the Commission demanding that extra grants devolved to Goa be increased from 42 per cent to 50 per cent.

Talking to reporters after the consultation, Singh said, "On the ease of doing business front, notwithstanding progress made by Goa, particular in terms of initiation of new businesses, permissions to be granted, single window clearances, are the areas where further progress needs to be made."

On Goa's demand to increase extra grants from 42 per cent to 50 per cent, Singh said there was hardly any state which had not made a similar demand. He said Goa had also asked for a package to compensate for the loss incurred due to the closure of the state's mining sector.

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"We recognise that Goa, which achieved notable success on many parameters, needs to be encouraged and incentivised as we go forward," he said. On ecological cover, Singh said the Commission would see how it can recognise the fiscal costs in better ecological cover (in Goa).

Singh said Goa had inherited a few challenges in solid waste management and sanitation but it was heartening to see the state government had taken up these sectors as priority areas. Singh said Goa had asked for compensation for sluggish tourism growth, for strengthening infrastructure, sanitation and solid waste management as well as renewable energy.

"It is a divisible kitty. We will see how best we can balance the considerations of equity, need and efficiency," Singh said about the Central fund.

The 15th Finance Commission, constituted in November, 2017, is tasked with making recommendations on distribution of net proceeds of taxes between Centre and states, principles governing grants-in-aid of states' out of the Consolidated Fund of India, and measures to augment this fund.

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