Blaise Costabir, Chairman, CII Goa Council on how the 125-year old organisation has made a difference to business in a Covidised world
How would you rate the year gone by under your chairmanship at CII Goa?
We at CII have found innovative ways to work, we have got together in various formats virtually and so have been able to adapt and greatly transform our approach to work. We have been able to come together more frequently and have been able to work closely and collaboratively as a team. We have strived to engage and service our members’ needs and high expectations despite the constraints imposed by COVID. This has greatly helped us. We would continue to use our experiences and learnings to work smartly and productively in the years to come.
What are your views about the last few years at CII?
CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. CII also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues. The theme for 2020-21 as ‘Building India for a New World: Lives, Livelihood, Growth’ is very apt. With 68 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 394 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII has no parallel and this has served as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community. For 125 years, CII has been working on shaping India’s development journey and, this year, more than ever before, it will continue to proactively transform Indian industry engagement in national development.
What was the primary focus of CII- Goa Council during your term as Chairman?
Skilling & Employment: Model Career Centre (MCC) which was recently launched by the Chief Minister. International Hospitality and Culinary Training Institute.
Rural–Urban Connect: Developing a 3-year roadmap for agri and allied activities under the CII WR subcommittee, Goa Shipyard Ltd helping village women reach their products to urban markets
Energy Security & Environment: Uninterrupted power supply, reduction of power requirements of CII member companies
Environmental Sustainability: Treated water, industrial waste disposal application process for commercial water connections. According to TERI study report on Goa’s water conservation / waste management, way forward will be addressed based on priority.
Governance & EODB: Mandatory physical examinations, advance preparedness on movement of workmen, compensation on retrenchment, SOP for industry.
Ensuring that the membership was serviced through various initiatives, training programs etc to build their competitiveness and motivate the industry through Kaizen and QC competitions etc, we had several buyer-seller meets to facilitate business.
To a certain extent, I have been able to give a push and position 10% of Goa members in the Committees at the Western Region, so as to give them an opportunity to expand their boundaries.
What legacy programs have you continued from your predecessors?
We wish to extend maximum support to the membership, address issues faced by members, facilitate ease of doing business through dialogues and discussions with government by presenting recommendations etc. We have tried to build their competitive skills. Given the strong secretarial backbone that each CII office has, it is easy for any Chairman to keep a track and follow-up on legacy issues as they are permanent.
What projects have you undertaken during your term as Chairman?
We have launched CII Model Career Centre in Goa, jointly with the Department of Labour & Employment, Government of Goa. The MCC will work towards addressing the aspirations of the youth by providing counseling, assessment, soft-skill training and placement linkages, so as to provide a solution to the Institutes for ease and cost-effective placements. The CII MCC has pan-India presence and operations and has through this initiative been able to partner with around 4,800 industry members to fulfill their manpower requirements by sourcing over 3.45 lacs candidates in the last 3 years. We have been able to engage and jointly collaborate with major trade associations in the State to collectively represent the issues faced by the industry with the concerned Government authorities. Some of the joint representations done by CII Goa along with other major trade associations in the state are: Joint Representation for Government Relief to Industry; Joint Representation for Consideration towards Financial Assistance to MSMEs; Waiver of `277.08 crores to casino industry; SOP issued by Goa Public Health Department on precautions for COVID-19; Joint Representation on the Goa Factories-15th Amendment Rules, 2020; Industrial Utilities Facilitation Scheme, Infrastructure Issues at Industrial Estates; Public Works Department (PWD); Goa State Pollution Control Board; Labour Department – Retrenchment Compensation.
Most states in the country are relaxing the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act and Goa Government too have attempted to do the same. However, while other States have kept retrenchment compensation at 15 days, only Goa Government has increased the same to 45 days.
Ports: The Industry, especially the pharma sector would prefer to use Goa’s port for exports and imports using Mormugao Port for shipment with ease of business costing competitive with Mumbai Port/nearby international port like Colombo by creating infrastructure for volume handling, creating competitiveness between ports, currently most container movement for Goa is done from JNPT port. Starting coastal shipping /barge services for Goa for containers will greatly reduce costs, infrastructure, turnaround time with matching cost of operation, CCP/ other Municipalities in Goa are charging exorbitant house tax, establishment taxes and other charges like sanitation fees, board tax, trade tax, etc. are charged every year.
Payment of pending Dues to MSMEs: MSMEs have been complaining that huge dues are pending with various Government departments. Joint Representation on Formulation of the Goa Tourism Policy 2020 and the Constitution of the Goa Tourism Board by Govt of Goa
Joint Representation to Exempt Goan Industry from Lockdown and Janata Curfew.
Joint Representation on request for inclusion of VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Furnace Oil) in Approved Fuel list for the state of Goa with reference to the Notification dated 30/12/2020 for discontinuation of use of furnace oil and petcoke as fuels.
CII recently conducted a conference on logistics. How will it be a game changer for Goa?
The 6th Edition – CII Goa Conference on Logistics held in October witnessed robust deliberations and recommendations which CII-Goa will continue to pursue with the government so that the deliberations can be taken to their logical conclusion for the improvement of the logistics sector in Goa. The State urgently requires a comprehensive, transparent and robust logistics policy. Efficient logistics solutions should go hand in hand with the development of industry and trade in the State. A good logistics industry will demonstrate that Goa can be a very profitable investment destination and make import and export of goods viable and efficient with good logistics. Goa government needs to complete ongoing infrastructure projects on a war footing so that transportation of goods and movement of personnel is seamless within the State and through the State. The need for the functioning of wide-bodied aircraft for the pharmaceutical cargo was debated and discussed during the session on air cargo. Prepare a white paper after gathering data and requirements of all the pharmaceutical exporters in Goa so that the information about cargo load, frequency and infrastructure can be shared with Goa International Airport. Given that time is of essence, trans-shipment delays, delays in customs clearance and consistency in air connectivity need to be ensured. Goa International Airport and the greenfield international airport at Mopa need to address these issues to allow unfettered movement of goods.
Where do you see CII in a year from now?
CII has immense potential to script an inclusive growth story with new-age ideas, technology and innovation for the masses and to position India on a strong foundation in the global business arena. Indian industry can come together to create a pool of capital that can be utilized towards supporting new businesses and research with strong initiative towards strengthening the new age businesses. Going ahead, CII would only continue to chart the way to foster government-industry co-operation to help develop new policies to support innovative businesses.
Goa’s ranking in Ease of Doing Business is a matter of concern…
The gap is in implementation. Down the line, it has not struck anyone that things have to be done faster and they have got used to waiting for instructions from higher ups. A file is first sent to the top boss, without the dealing hand processing it as per his mandate. Why? Ideally it should go up with comments from lower sections first. The focus of the government should be to make services online, with departments working with reduced manpower and most departments having restrictions. Try and visit GIDC. You cannot enter the office. It would be the same in other departments too. Why do we insist on physical letters? When we should be able to submit application via email and this will be less hazardous in times of COVID-19. Departments should move to online communication one should be able to email the query or reply or permission, and then only will we see EODB in the real sense of the term.
How do you look at the industry in Goa in a post-Covid world?
As the vaccination program accelerates across the State and country, the economy will start looking up and be more open for business. The industry needs to take this opportunity to become a more competitive player with a greater share of global markets. Global merchandise trade will rise to 7.2% this year following a 9.2% contraction in 2020. The supply chains are also shifting as organisations reorient their production capacities. It can be hoped that countries such as India will emerge as reliable production hubs in 2021, with any hurdles in the path of investors being eased. The Ease of Doing Business will build a momentum towards industrial rejuvenation in the State. Businesses are ready to operate in the post-pandemic era using more sustainable models and digital technologies. Throughout businesses are being restructured to become more environment conscious while smart technologies are enhancing their presence. As the State’s economy begins to restore itself, one major challenge will be to create jobs, as also to improve their quality. New jobs that are created must be accompanied by an improvement in the facilities provided such as housing and access to health and education
