Union govt forms taskforce to identify archaic laws in Goa

Panaji: Admitting that more reforms are required to improve the ease of doing business, a taskforce headed by the chairperson of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Vijay Kumar, was constituted by the Centre to identify laws and regulations that can be done away with in Goa.
The taskforce prepared a 114-page compliance reduction and deregulation docket, which has been shared with state govt and industry bodies. The docket contains a list of 23 priority areas that Goa govt can look at reforming. “The Centre has said that states need to change the regulatory framework. All these years, more and more laws were added. Now govt wants to deregulate,” said an industry source.
Kumar, who is responsible for Goa along with all the Union territories, held a meeting with state govt authorities in March to kickstart the process. The Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board has also initiated consultations with industry associations.
The focus of the taskforce is to see if govt oversight can be reduced on labour laws, land use development, building and construction regulations, utility permissions, and other factory inspections and certifications. This taskforce will function under the Deregulation Commission headed by the cabinet secretary of India, T V Somanathan.
“One of the overarching priorities identified by govt is the decriminalisation of minor offences that affect the private sector and businesses,” said a source. A total of 21 departments are being consulted through what an official said will be a year-long process to deregulate certain regulatory compliances.
The Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled in Parliament outlined a three-step process for states to systematically review regulations for their cost-effectiveness. The steps include identifying areas for deregulation, thoughtfully comparing the regulations with other states and countries, and estimating the cost of each of these regulations on individual enterprises.
The economic survey says that some challenges in the regulatory environments at the state level and the national level remain. The Centre has noticed a tendency for companies to remain small to avoid the regulatory authorities and steer clear of the rules and labour and safety laws, says the economic survey report.
To create a conducive business environment, the taskforce has asked Goa govt to bring all critical services required by businesses under a single window system with a common payment window for municipalities, utility services, pollution control board, fire department, revenue department, and other departments.
The focus of the taskforce is to see if govt oversight can be reduced on labour laws, regulations for building & construction, land use development,utility permissions, and factory inspections and certifications