Panaji: The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Friday submitted its pre-budget recommendations for 2026-27 to chief minister Pramod Sawant, covering a wide range of sectors from mining and tourism to renewable energy and agriculture, with a primary demand that govt refrain from imposing any new taxes or raising existing ones.President of the GCCI, Pratima Dhond, pressed for a mass transit system connecting major cities, airports, railway stations and bus stops, citing the growing burden on state highways used as local roads and an inadequate taxi and bus network.GCCI called for greater budget allocation for roads, water supply and electricity in industrial estates, along with dedicated raw water supply for industries to ease pressure on domestic demand. It also flagged the sharp hike in house tax from Rs 12 per sqm to Rs 200 per sqm for industries located outside industrial areas. GCCI sought an enhancement of the CMRY scheme limit from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 1 crore for larger projects through SIDBI.On renewable energy, GCCI pointed out that the solar policy expires on March 31 and urged govt to notify a revised policy immediately, given that approvals take 45 to 60 days. It also sought expansion of virtual net metering up to 90kW, noting that Goa’s solar generation stands at 80MW against a total consumption of 850MW.For agriculture, the chamber recommended weekly farmers’ markets with no local taxes, promoting farmer producer organisations, and introducing a refund on the one per cent market fee on raw cashew processed within the state.Other recommendations included single-window clearance for tourism and event permissions, interim funding for hospitals under the DDSSY scheme, dedicated mining corridors, and a formal Goa retail policy. Sawant assured the delegation that the recommendations would be examined for inclusion in the state budget.
