Panaji: Goa’s manufacturing sector has urged state govt to provide a minimum 12-month transition period for implementing the new Goa Rules under the four labour codes and to hold consultations with industry, labour and other stakeholders before finalising them.Govt has circulated the draft rules to industry bodies, business organisations and other stakeholders for feedback.Industry representatives said the final framework should address practical concerns and balance the interests of employers and employees.GCCI president Pratima Dhond said the chamber has sought a 12-month transition period from the date of notification to help industries meet the new compliance requirements. It has also urged greater alignment between Goa’s rules and the Centre’s framework to avoid additional procedural and financial burdens.The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) has made similar submissions. GSIA president Pradip da Costa said Goa’s draft rules were based on the Centre’s earlier model rules, but the Centre notified its final Labour Code Rules on May 8 with several significant changes, leaving Goa’s draft out of sync with the national framework.Da Costa said aligning Goa’s rules with Centre’s final framework would provide a single, consistent and predictable compliance regime for industry.The manufacturing sector has also raised concerns over higher compliance costs.“The rules must safeguard the cost-competitiveness of Goa’s manufacturing MSMEs. Compliance obligations should be practical, proportionate, and capable of being met by smaller units without disproportionate cost or administrative burden,” Costa said.GCCI has requested chief minister Pramod Sawant to convene a stakeholder meeting before the rules are finalised.“Our representations are constructive in intent. We seek rules that are workable for MSMEs and consistent with the national framework,” Costa said.
