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Coming on tourist Visa and doing business in Goa – Report
December 29, 2015 by Rajesh Ghadge
It is not the new story as everybody in Goa is aware of this fact. The foreign nationals, especially the Russians come to Goa on tourist Visa and take up the jobs or manage their own businesses here. Most of the foreigner staff appointed in the hotels and clubs is here on tourist Visa.
Recently the story published by the national daily Times of India, it has been brought to the light that foreigners coming to Goa on tourist Visa are involved into the hosting of music shows and late night parties in the north coastal belts of Goa. They are actively organizing and managing the parties in Goa right under the nose of the police. How many foreigner DJs have the working Visa? The question always remains unanswered.
The ladies bartenders used in the clubs to pull the crowd are mainly foreigners and obviously do not possess the working Visa. The reports reveal that even the graphic designing of the posters and flyers are done by these foreign nationals who apparently knows the taste of foreign tourist and designs the stuff accordingly.
These foreign nationals who are raking money in the state under various forms are not even registered anywhere. In a clear term, they cease to exist legally into the businesses or profession in Goa while in reality they are involved into the commercial activities.
Although the quantum of the Russian national is more but at the same time there are other nationals such as English, German, Swedish & Israelis are involved into the organizing and managing the beach parties across the coastal belts in north Goa.
It is the fact that more and more foreigners are getting involved into the commercial activities in Goa. But is it possible that this could just happen without the support of locals? Sounds little difficult, right? But it is the fact; many local Goans make use of these foreigner “Friends” to attract more business from tourists. The engagement of local make the job of foreigners easier and they do not have to fear about the law and police.
The claims made by the tourism department and authorities of making money in a form of entertainment taxes goes for the toss as they do not make any money from these illegal endeavors. The Chief Minister of Goa Laxmikant Parsekar claims openly in the media that Goans are responsible for this scenario. “Since local Goans do not mind taking the foreigners as partners into their businesses and handing over their businesses to them (foreigners) by collecting their (Goans) part of the profits. “Goans are simply susegad (Relaxed) and they don’t mind even if their foreigners partner “Friend” making more money into the business,” said Parsekar.
According to the TNN media reporter, the government is not taking any action against such illegal acts since the concern authorities are helpless as the businesses are registered in the name of locals (although it is run by foreigners). Parsekar also claimed that majority of Russians run the business of language learning school and it is mushrooming in the state.
All the people related to the Goa’s tourism industry, from taxi drivers to the restaurant and shack owners are in process of learning the Russian language since they need to deal with the Russian tourist and learning the language is the only way of breaking the communication barrier with the Russian tourists and this also reduces the cost of hiring the expensive Russian guides.
The sources have also revealed that there will be around 80 such illegal parties which are going to take place in various parts of Goa during these three days. The foreigners will just hire the places around conducting the parties and disperse without paying a penny to the government treasury.
According to Suraj Morajkar, an hotelier and MD of Sun Estates Developers, Government authorities needs to crack down on the foreigners running the illegal businesses in Goa. “However, I feel that it is the opportunity they have taken which is exciting due to lack in international standard and a certain amount of professionalism in the state. We need to raise the standards of our services in a way to stop them taking the advantage of the situation.”
https://www.goaprism.com/coming-on-tourist-visa-anddoing-business-in-goa-report/
Goa asks Russia to rein in their illegal ‘tourist’ activities
By Team NRAI on September 23, 2015
Russians run restaurants, pubs & taxi services in Goa on a tourist visa.
Come as tourists, leave as tourists, leave the business to the Goans is the message Goa is sending to Russia.
Goa’s chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar has conveyed to Alexey Novikov, the Russian consul general in Mumbai that Russian tourists in Goa indulging in illegal activities, including running businesses on a tourist visa – not the mandatory business/work visa – must stop.
There have been several instances in past tourism seasons of fallouts between locals and Russians, on account of the latter running restaurants, pubs, taxi services etc. This is especially in the northern coastal belt of Pernem, which includes the chief minister’s constituency, Mandrem.
Goa estimates that round 300,000 Russians visit it during the season and some are involved in businesses, illegally, which eat into the earnings of locals involved legally in tourism-related services. “I told him that Russians are running taxis, running restaurants, doing business, the only thing left is for them to become by voters,” said Parsekar.
While Russians are a close second to the British in the number of foreign visitors Goa receives, several are long-term visitors who have settled in the coastal belt of North Goa, particularly Morjim, carving out a ‘Little Russia’ there.
The recent parliamentary consultative committee meeting on coastal security, chaired by Union home minister Rajnath Singh, had taken note of the increasing activities of Russians and Israelis in Goa, which may be dangerous to coastal security.
On their part, the Russians have requested the Goa government for land towards the construction of a chapel in Goa so that Russian tourists, predominantly orthodox Christians, can go to and pray. Christmas, celebrated by Russians on January 6, is a big celebration for them.
http://nrai.org/goa-asks-russia-to-rein-in-their-illegal-tourists-activities/
@313ghazi
Kyon bhai Ghazi??!!! I bet even your Kashmir or NWFP doesn't attract as many Russians as our Goa does.
There is nothing called Russian Mafia: Consul
PTI, PANAJI | 10 AUGUST 2012 21:46 IST
The Russian Consulate has rubbished the often-repeated claims about existence of "Russian mafia" in Goa and its investments in the state's lucrative tourism industry.
"There is nothing called Russian mafia. There are no gun-wielding people on the streets of Moscow. It's a wrong impression that Russian mafia exists and they are operating in Goa," Alexey Novikov, Consul General of Russian Federation in Mumbai, told PTI today.
Novikov was here to meet Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.
The envoy maintained that reports about existence of Russian mafia in the coastal state are "absolute lie".
"There may be some bad people but you cannot term them as members of a mafia. There are bad people in every community."
In past, apprehensions had been raised over increasing investment from Russia in the tourism industry.
Fears were raised in certain quarters that people connected to Russian mafia were off-loading their investments in Goa, which attracts over half a million foreign tourists every year.
Novikov said the "mafia" existing in Goa comprised local gangs.
"We hope that Parrikar will eliminate that mafia and make Goa a much better place for tourists. The Consul General said he knows "who was chief of mafia in Goa and his relation with some former Ministers".
More than one lakh Russians visited Goa during the last financial year, the largest number from a foreign country.
The Russian Government has predicted 50 per cent rise in tourist inflow into Goa in the coming years.
http://www.goanews.com/news_disp.php?newsid=2525
NOW SOMETHING INTERESTING. AT 32.00 MINUTES IN THE VIDEO, THEY SHOW FOREIGNERS STAYING AT SAI BABA'S ASHRAM:
Shantaram fumes over naked-moving Russians
PTI, PANAJI | 28 FEBRUARY 2010 19:30 IST
Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik has accused Russians of moving around naked in Morjim beach village (North Goa), creating horrifying scenes for the locals.
"The state government has taken conscious decision not to prescribe any dress code. But during my Morjim tour, I was told that some Russians move totally naked, and that, they move in villages with hardly any dress on them," Naik told PTI after his visit.
"Besides corrupting minds of locals, they leave a horrifying impression on school going children," he added.
The village, hotspot for Russian tourists, had recently erupted in protest against the foreigners after a local taxi driver was beaten to death by a Russian businessman.
Naik, along with Congress party office bearers, visited the village on Saturday to take stock of the situation after constant media reports hinting at large scale discontent against foreigners here.
The MP said: ``I was told that there were number of Russian tourists constantly abusing the locals on some pretext or the other. However, when complains are made with the police, they side with the foreigners.''
Naik pointed out that the incidents of blocking of right of way by Russians, who reside here, are also on rise in Morjim.
The Congress leader alleged that there were large scale violations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) by Russians in this village, which requires prompt action by the state machinery.
He said that the provisions of FEMA and Regulations framed there under are required to be tightened, so that foreign nationals do not purchase land in Goa illegally and deprive locals of their business and means of livelihood.
"The recent union budget provides for an appointment of a committee to examine all financial legislations, in order to bring in reforms. I will take up the issue of need to amend FEMA with that committee," Naik added.
http://www.goanews.com/news_disp.php?newsid=1008