WTC Goa - Seminar - World MSME Day 2022

Jun 27, 2022

On the occasion of World MSME Day World Trade Center Goa organized a seminar with the aim of understanding Goa’s potential of becoming an export hub and at the same time to understand the opportunities that are available for MSMEs to reach their highest potential.

The seminar organized on 27th June 2022, at Panaji, focussed on finance and the other elements like logistics, warehousing etc…that could help the Goan MSMEs in reaching their highest potential. The seminar also pondered on the steps that the state of Goa needs to take in order to becoming a true export hub.

While speaking on the warehousing sector, Mr. John Rodrigues, Chief Operating officer, Machado & Sons Agents & Stevedores Pvt. Ltd, spoke on the evolution of the Warehousing sector in Goa. He pointed out that although the warehousing services have come a long way, they still face many challenges, like, the Warehousing business is bracketed in the same group as Real Estate hence the Banks do not lend them loans at a concessional rate. He strongly recommended that if the warehousing services are to be made truly viable for the MSMEs then an “Industry Status” needs to be given to the warehousing sector, this move will get more benefits for the sector and also enable them to be more competitive in the pricing of their services to the MSMEs.

Mr. Prasad Navelkar, who is a business professional associated with Casfer Technologies, while speaking on the subject of Logistics services, pointed out MSMEs in order to have a good logistical experience for their cargo need to take a special care of basics like Documentation, Packaging, Terms of Trade and Payment terms. He also propagated that if there could be a common place for the consolidation of a particular product then its export potential could be better calculated.

The containerised cargo transport in Goa has taken a big hit as the feeder vessel that facilitated cargo movement from Goa to various ports especially JNPT in Mumbai has been discontinued said Mr. Mario Furtado, Proprietor of Furtado Custom House Agents based in Goa. He said this while speaking on the way forward for MSMEs to have a good supply chain from Goa. Mr. Furtado said that there are about 2460 MSME units spread across 23 Industrial Estates in Goa and he looked forward to the starting of EXIM Services in Goa so that mother vessels could call on the Marmugao Port and help the MSMEs with better containerised transport system. He opined that a dedicated berth at Murmago Port needs to be developed in order to exclusively service the Containerised traffic.

Mr Atul Anand, Chief Manager, State Bank of India, spoke on the various schemes that his esteemed bank is offering to the MSMEs. He spoke on the Export Packing Credit, Bills abroad Re-discounting scheme, Pre-shipment Credit in Foreign currency scheme, Warehouse receipt Finance scheme and SBI Asset backed loans scheme among other schemes, which he said would help the MSMEs especially in the arena of boosting their exports.

A very interactive Q & A session was also organized in which Mr. Agnelo Menezes, Proprietor of Menezes Enterprises, made a passionate plea to the Government of India to kindly consider to extend the tenure of the Moratorium Scheme as many of the MSMEs are still reeling from the negative aftereffects of unforeseen second wave of COVID-19.

Mr Cyril Desouza, Assistant Director- Trade Promotion in his address said that bottle necks in the transportation sector experienced at Panzorconnoi Village and ICD Bali, the incomplete portion of four lane highway between Margao and Navelim as well as the incomplete bridge that connects the newly built Baina Flyover to the Marmugao Port need to be resolves at the earliest to have a seamless containerised transportation system in Place for the MSME Exports from Goa.

Seen in the Picture (L-R) Mr Cyril Desouza, Mr Prasad Navelkar, Mr Mario Furtado Mr Atul Anand and Mr John Rodrigues