Porvorim: The Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a legislation aimed at easing regulatory compliance for businesses, decriminalising minor technical offences and introducing automated digital appeals for delayed public services.
The Goa Ease of Doing Business (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2026, introduced by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, amends five state laws relating to court fees, industrial development, time-bound delivery of public services, shops and establishments, and town and country planning.
The legislation seeks to streamline regulatory procedures and facilitate investment-led growth in the coastal state.
Under amendments to the Goa Court-Fees Act, 2024, imprisonment for minor, non-fraudulent violations by stamp vendors has been removed and replaced with administrative penalties of up to Rs 10,000. Fraudulent sale of stamps will continue to attract imprisonment of up to six months.
The Bill also empowers the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to grant freehold rights over industrial plots and premises. Revenue generated through freehold premiums will be credited to a dedicated fund, with only the interest earned from it available for expenditure.
The government will compensate village panchayats and municipalities for loss of house tax revenue resulting from such freehold conversion for a minimum period of five years.
To facilitate single-window clearances for industries, officials from the Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers, Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services and Goa State Pollution Control Board will be integrated into GIDC’s Industrial Planning and Developing Committee.
The arrangement will enable the committee to issue approvals, including Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate for non-red category industries.
The legislation also expands the Goa (Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Public Services) Act, 2013, to cover business entities.
Under the new system, if a business-related public service is not delivered within the prescribed time limit, an appeal will be automatically generated and electronically forwarded to the Appellate Authority without requiring the applicant to file a separate appeal or pay a fee.
Amendments to the Goa Shops and Establishments Act, 2025, provide wider coverage to establishments and remove statutory caps on working hours, leaving the government to prescribe them through notifications.
The amendments also revise the permitted timings for women working night shifts to 6 am to 7 pm from the earlier 7 am to 7.30 pm, subject to prescribed safety measures and consent.
Establishments employing fewer than 10 workers will only be required to submit a simple online intimation.
The Bill further amends the Goa Town and Country Planning Act, 1974, to waive the requirement of town planning sanction or a no-objection certificate when land is transferred to the Forest Department for compensatory afforestation.
According to the Statement of Objects and Reasons, the amendments have no financial implications for the state exchequer and are aimed at aligning Goa’s regulatory framework with the Centre’s initiatives on deregulation and ease of doing business.
