The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been one of the most environmentally polluting incidents in recent history. That a highly successful company like BP is not yet  getting a handle on the technology to arrest the oil spill is a sad commentary on the  quality  of expertise even for one of the most profitable companies in the world. Companies and Governments  in India should be forewarned that if environmental risks of any project are not continuously evaluated, there is the possibility of major pollution accidents occurring which can wreck local economies and have companies face red ink on their balance sheets. In the six weeks after the disaster, BP share prices  declined by 25%.

The automobile and two wheeler markets are back to a fast clip growth. While this is good news for the economy it is not necessarily good for our roads. Increasing traffic congestion makes our working lives more troublesome and movement of goods slows down. Hence among other demands GCCI has made a strong plea to develop the road infrastructure. Once the work on widening National Highway-17  starts in November 2010, traffic will be facilitated as it is a 123 km length of road with many four lane and six lane stretches.  Since the  road construction will need a very high level of expertise especially when constructing the six lane bridge over the Zuari river, we hope the government will hire the best consultants in the country to execute the work. With the work scheduled to start in November 2010, Goa can soon look forward to a high-speed transit highway in the North South Corridor that will make travel via Goa faster and safer.

India’s Census 2011 began on 1st April 2010. It is the 15th national census. Government  and  commercial organizations, need to plan even now on how they  will use this considerable amount of data when it is formally released since a census is a high-cost exercise. Demographics and key indicators of the  nation’s  economic health emerge from this census which is one of the largest in the world. The Goa data  will reveal a lot on how far  we have moved forward  since the last census. While I am sure the Government will do the work of effectively completing the exercise,  commercial organizations need to go into more depth. Often a census adorns the office library or book shelf  till it’s replacement comes along five years later. That may have been acceptable in the past but with India emerging as one of the most dynamic Asian economies, a five - year span can reveal tremendous insights on how the country in general or a state in particular is changing demographically, either in per capita income or on any  other factors.  The first companies  using this data to plan strategically are often the biggest beneficiaries.

The GCCI Trade & Commercial Directory gets released  this month. A good directory fills up gaps in information but more important it updates information that already exists. A lot of our industrial activity takes place in the various  industrial estates across the state. The GCCI Trade & Commerical Directory lists out the units operating in these estates with brief descriptions. It also lists units operating outside the industrial estates. Since a great deal of information can be obtained from the directory it is recommended that   our members purchase  the same for their use and ready reference.

Being adept at using the computer has become an important skill that any professional must develop. Its not easy to master these skills. Many of us are stuck with using a few basic software programs which we learnt when we started our professional lives. Yet the world moves on and its good to pick up  more  skills. Hence the GCCI Bulletin introduced the Tech Talk section in April. The column makes no claims to teaching a new program but its aim is to introduce our readers to  major developments taking place in the fast paced world of the internet or advances in software programs that  make our working lives easier and more productive.  We have among our members so many info tech experts especially from the younger generation. It would be very good if they could contribute to this column through articles which are readable but not overly technical. 

The Gas Authority of India made a presentation on natural gas to the GCCI. A gas pipeline is being laid and expected to connect to some of the fertiliser factories, steel units and a few other plants. Also the pipeline can cater to the domestic household demand for natural gas in some of the principal cities. Their presentation was backed by charts and visuals on the footprint of the gas pipeline and also an assessment of the demand for natural gas in Goa. More details  of the pipeline project appear in the photo gallery. Since Goa is relatively new to natural gas  they put forward their arguments quite systematically  for expanding the usage of this low cost  fuel in Goa. Its benefits will mainly be if used  in augmenting the power generation which the state needs in the future.

This month we complete a year under my presidentship and with our present membership of 624 we are motivated to meet the opportunities and challenges that face our business community and industry in the year ahead.

Cesar Menezes
(President - GCCI)