----- Original Message ----- From: Dr. U. G. Barad (M. Pharm., Ph. D.) To: goasuraj Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 6:18 PM Subject: Goa SEZ and my views............
Goa SEZ: Boon or Disaster!! SEZ for Goa can be a boon as well as a total disaster. Goans are already witnessing dying industries in decaying industrial estates existing in Goa. Government should realize that it is talking about Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under Central SEZ policy and not about State SEZ under State SEZ policy (which we don't have) nor it is talking about re-energizing the collapsed 20 point program. Government should realize that the success of SEZ depends, besides other factors, on where it is planned to be located, what it is planned for, how it is planned and most importantly, who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this SEZ. The first on the list of considerations is: SEZ where? Considering the area requirements for setting-up a SEZ is 1000 hectares, which cannot be compromised, nor can it be thought that special relaxation will be granted for Goa alone, Verna appear to be out of question and/or the consideration, though it is closer to the airport and the harbor. In this context Pernem appears to be nicely fitting into the policy. Moreover Pernem will have an airport (MOPA) of international standards. Considering the area constraints, Verna also could have been fitting in as the SEZ area for ' Very Specialized Products' (VSPs), but than, the additional requirement of having port/airport within that SEZ area is out of question for Verna. From this view point if Pernem is considered, then many other infrastructural activities such as wide roads, power generation etc. will have to be created at hopping costs. As regards what the SEZ is planned for, Goa government has still not finalized as to which industries it is aiming at, in the SEZ area. Will it be 'general industries' or 'IT' and 'pharmaceuticals' and allied industries? When SEZs are being started almost in every major state e.g. Navi Mumbai, Amritsar, etc., can Goa think of attracting major industries without offering several major additional sops which are not being offered by other SEZs? Has any one thought about these special attractive incentives that will have to be given in order to attract these industries? And can Goa afford to offer such attractive incentives at the cost of the Goan exchequer? How it is planned (at least projected/proposed) is still a big question here in Goa and to Goans. But business houses are euphoric about SEZ in Goa, but no one, till date, knows what shape it will take, planning wise and/or how it will be structured. Everyone is busy firing their shots about SEZ without even going through the actual requirements of SEZs. Who are going to be the ultimate beneficiaries of this SEZ in Goa is yet another big question by itself. Certainly the net beneficiaries of Goa SEZ, if at all we have one, will not be Goans but non-Goans, and that is for sure. Even the business houses will be mostly non-Goan. As regards employment, Goa has educated class labor including top management personalities. But one thing is certain that 80 % of the labor force including top management will be non-Goans and the balance 20 % will be goans, employed to do altu faltu jobs , that too at a very meager salary, just to show that Goans are employed. This picture will be exactly the same as we see today in industries existing in Goa. Therefore, from all these angles, it is crystal clear that the ultimate beneficiaries of Goa's SEZ will be non-Goan business houses, that too at the cost of the Goan exchequer. Therefore the moot question is: "Do we need such SEZ for Goa?" This is the question that Goans must ask themselves and come out with the "Yes" or "No" answers. Dr. U. G. Barad 600- Vasanti Niwas, Borda, Margao - Goa Tel 2731639