Porvorim: The Goa government on Wednesday held a marathon meeting with representatives from various industry bodies and state departments to address the acute shortage of manpower faced by industries across the state and explore solutions to improve employment in the private sector.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, was attended by representatives from the Technical Education Department, Goa Industrial Development Corporation, Information Technology Goa, Tourism Department, and multiple industry associations including the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Goa Pharma Association, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association, Hotels Association, and others.
Sawant said the state’s industries are witnessing a significant manpower shortage, citing an instance where only two candidates turned up for interviews conducted by the Goa Pharma Association. A similar situation prevails in the shipbuilding sector, he said.
“There are job opportunities available, but there is no manpower,” Sawant said, adding that the meeting focused on the issues industries face in recruiting local youth. He said that the discussion was also centred around introducing skilling courses in the state and also to prepare action plan required for the same.
The Chief Minister noted that many young Goans are reluctant to join the private sector due to concerns about job security. “After discussing various issues, we realised that the youth feel there is no safety and security of job in the private sector, that is why they don’t prefer it as a career option,” he said.
To address this, the government has decided to enforce strict measures to protect labourers. “Any kind of exploitation of workers will not be tolerated, and such managements will face consequences,” Sawant warned.
He said the meeting also reviewed the existing wage structure and decided to revise the minimum wages across industries.
Another key issue discussed was the lack of transportation linking bus stands to industrial estates. Industry bodies have been asked to submit their transport requirements to the government for necessary action.
Sawant also announced that it will be made mandatory for industries to hire Goan contractors for their operations.
In a major decision regarding labour welfare, the Chief Minister said that from July 1, 2025, companies will be required to utilize funds from the Labour Welfare Fund and the Construction Labour Welfare Fund to implement 16 different benefit schemes, including housing support and scholarships for workers’ children. The two funds together have a corpus of Rs 600 crore.
