INDIA: GOA Casino Director requests financial aid from New Delhi officials

The tourism industry is one of the most heavily impacted industries by Covid-19 and badly needs to navigate the financial hurdles it’s experiencing

A director of one of Goa’s largest floating casinos asked for a financial assistance from the government mainly to reverse the slump brought by COVID-19 for the local tourism and entertainment operators in India. 

According to Goa Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, Goa’s casino operations – including its six floating casinos on the Mandovi River – have been put on halt since 15 March and revealed having no intentions for reopening anytime soon. 

Shrinivas Naik has asked the government to help firms by  granting them a three-year income tax holiday and a six-month waiver on business loan interest charges.  

The director of Casino Pride Goa, Shrinivas Naik, has penned a letter to the officials of New Delhi, drafting measures, stating that the tourism industry one of the most heavily impacted industries by the Covid-19 and badly needs to navigate the financial hurdles it’s experiencing. In line with this, he also asked the government to help firms by  granting them a three-year income tax holiday and a six-month waiver on business loan interest charges.  

 “In order to reduce the overall cost of operations and increase funds for disposal in the hands of the industry, the government should provide tax holidays for at least three years beginning from [from April 1].” Said on Naik’s letter reported from the Indian gaming website GLaws. 

Naik also allegedly called on the government to “allow the industry to pay minimum sustenance allowance to its employees during lockdown period and post lockdown period of six months,” and to demand any employees who have taken a salary during lockdown to remain with their employer for at least six months until April 2021. 

Other requests include presenting operators with free electricity and Internet access for the next six months and cover all employee pension contributions for the duration of the nation’s coronavirus-related lockdown. 

On April 15, 2020 in PANAJI: The Casino industry is among the many sectors that have offered help to the Goa government in addressing the coronavirus situation in the country. 

 “We have supported 25 Georgian nationals by offering them accommodation and food after their Embassy requested for the same. They are safe in our accommodation. We will take care of them till they are in a position to fly back,’ said the Director of Casino Pride Group, Srinivas Nayak, which owns two offshore vessels besides some onshore gaming places in the state, reported from the Business Insider India.

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