Panaji/Margao, April 24, 2025 — A delegation comprising leaders of the Goa Forward Party (GFP) and councillors of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) today visited the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) to submit a memorandum opposing the steep hike in trade license fees imposed by MMC.
Speaking to the media outside the DMA Headquarters , MMC councillor Ravindra Naik expressed strong dissatisfaction with the unilateral fee hike. “The council had passed a resolution to increase the fees by only 10%. However, the MMC has arbitrarily raised them by over 100%, placing an unbearable burden on ordinary citizens and small business owners in Margao,” Naik said. He added that the delegation also urged the director to initiate recovery of pending dues instead of targeting compliant businesses with such unjustified increases.
Councillor and former Chairperson of MMC Lyndon Pereira criticized the manner in which the decision was implemented, alleging that the resolution passed on March 24, 2025, had been manipulated. “The people of Margao are upset. This is not what the council had agreed to. The hike is excessive and has caused widespread discontent,” Pereira stated.
GFP General Secretary Mohandas Lolienkar highlighted the disproportionate impact of the hike. “This fee increase punishes those who are running businesses legally, while those operating without registration continue unaffected. This is deeply unfair and unsustainable,” he said. Lolienkar warned that people may soon be forced to take to the streets to protest the decision, and he squarely blamed the Margao MLA for pushing this anti-people move.
GFP General Secretary Durgadas Kamat affirmed that the party would take this issue to the state legislature. “GFP President and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai will raise this matter in the upcoming session of the Goa Legislative Assembly. The hike disproportionately affects the poor, backward communities, and small traders who rely on legitimate businesses for their livelihood,” Kamat said.
The Director of Municipal Administration assured the delegation that he would review the memorandum, study past fee structures, and compare them with those of other municipalities before taking appropriate action.
The Goa Forward Party remains committed to safeguarding the interests of Margao’s citizens and will continue to resist any anti-people policy imposed by the local body under political pressure.
