Shack operators want fees slashed amid two-month delay in licence allotment

MARGAO: Shack owners have urged the government to consider a reduction in the beach shack license fee due to a two-month delay in the allotment process.

They have emphasised that the fee is intended for a seven-month beach shack season, and the delay translates to a proportional loss of business for a period of two months, and thus, assert that  their demand is legitimate. While the shack owners have finally started the work of erecting their  shacks, they pointed out to the additional delay which had prevented them from starting the work after the allotment process until the recent meeting with the Chief Minister.

“It is important to mention that the Chief Minister has resolved almost all of our issues and our last meeting with him was very fruitful as a solution was found. So are grateful for that. But there has been a loss of business due to the delayed start and so we have demanded that the government consider a reduction in the overall fees given this two-month delay,” said Cruz Cardozo, President of the Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS).

“We are also hopeful that there are no such delays in the years to come” Cardozo added.

Shack owners also said that other stakeholders who have businesses that are affiliated with shacks also suffered and so it was a blow to the tourism industry that there were no shacks since October unlike previous years.

Shack owners lamented that they know of guests, who visit their shacks every year, who had cancelled their flights to Goa this year as the shacks were not available and they chose another destination for their holiday instead.  

They remain hopeful nonetheless that the remainder of the tourism season can be salvaged, given the high investments.