The Village Barricades

EDITORIAL
Posted on 2008-10-03
Setting a pavilion at the India International Trade Fair in New Delhi is considered a good advantage by every state government as it provides the government, financial institutions and industries in the state a good opportunity for exposure of the opportunities availed and available to national and global investors or customers. But the case of Goa is different. Some key members of the board of directors of the Goa Industrial Development Corporation rightly raised doubts whether spending Rs 40 lakh on a Goa pavilion was worth. Most likely, it would be a complete loss. Fairs are a basic concept of marketing ideas in terms of investment and buying opportunities. Goa currently has little to offer to investors. Public agitations against land abuse and industrial and other projects have driven the state government to the wall, so much so that its industrial policy is in a state of limbo. The government is not in a position even to give an unbreakable commitment to investors in eco-friendly sectors, such as food processing, pharmaceuticals and hospitality. Investors do not come to you only because you can provide excellent terms on paper. Goa does not provide better incentives to investors than what some of the other smaller states do and are attracting investments. But no less important is the political and social environment, which at present is not very hospitable to major investments. It is quite natural to ask then: what are we going to put on display to attract investors at the Goa pavilion at the Pragati Maidan—empty promises and village barricades?