Goa CM Pramod Sawant's tax sop offer to attract investors with Rs 5,000 crore finds no takers

Porvorim: CM Pramod Sawant’s offer of a tax holiday for industries investing over Rs 5,000 crore, made in his 2025 budget speech, found no takers. The incentives, which included full SGST reimbursement for five years, a 50% waiver on stamp duty, and subsidies on essential services, though promising, failed to convince large industrial units to set up shop in Goa.“No proposals involving investment commitments exceeding Rs 5,000 crore were received from any industry or organisation to date,” industries minister Mauvin Godinho informed legislators. “However, the proposal for extending incentives, such as full SGST reimbursement for a period of 5 years, a 50% waiver on stamp duty and registration charges, and subsidies on amenities for 5 years, etc, is presently under consideration and is under process for approval by govt.”Despite the setback, govt remains hopeful that the incentive framework, once formally approved, could attract interest from industries looking to establish operations in the western coastal region. The administration is also banking on the logistics and warehousing sector to generate industrial activity, given the lower capital requirements compared to large manufacturing units.Godinho also said the Logistics and Warehousing Policy provides for the operation of eight incentive schemes, including subsidies on fixed capital investment, interest subvention on loans, upgradation of traffic tracking equipment and logistics management software, quality improvement, skill development, reduction of stamp duty and registration fees, and electricity subsidies for cold chain units, with a budgetary provision of ₹4.7 crore.Industry observers attribute the lack of response to several factors, including Goa’s limited industrial land availability, high real estate costs, and the state’s sluggish approval process.