License fee cut by 50% for beach shacks in Goa to compensate for pandemic losses

For the second consecutive year, the government of Goa has reduced the beach shack fees by 50% to help the owners deal with the losses, due to the ongoing pandemic. According to the Goa shack policy, an operator has to pay up to ₹ 1 lakh as a licence fee, subject to the size and the neighbourhood of the cabin. With a reduction in the inflow of foreign tourists, many shack operators are incurring losses and now, this move will bring some respite for them.

Goa's shack owners to pay around 50K after the waiver

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The shack operators had appealed for relaxation in the license fee since the hospitality industry was hit by the repercussions of the pandemic. On Thursday, the chief minister of Goa announced a waiver of 50% for all shack owners, which would mean a payment of around ₹ 50,000, as per the new policy.

Normally, the shacks are set up after the monsoons in the first week of October and are dismantled by May, right before the monsoons. Unfortunately, the shacks were set up in November last year due to the pandemic-induced lockdown and the sale picked up for a small period, from December 2020 to February 2021 . Besides, the owners had to shut down their shacks in March itself because of the surge in the COVID-19 numbers.

Move to benefit a large count of shack owners

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Being a crucial part of Goa's beach experience, more than 400 shacks are established on different beaches every year. They offer tourists a good time, while they watch the onset of waves against the backdrop of the sunset. Even before this year's lockdown, the industry saw thin numbers which made the shack owners undergo losses and cost-cutting.