Assocham has emphasised the need for Goa to receive higher funding allocations from the central tax pool to address key developmental challenges. The organisation highlighted that sectors like public transportation, healthcare, waste management, and logistics remain critically underfunded. The Chamber also pointed out that just as northeastern states benefit from special grants, Goa should receive additional funds for women empowerment, child development projects, and to support the growth of the MSME sector. Mangurish Pai Raiker, Chairman of Assocham Goa, urged the 16th Finance Commission to consider these requests and recommend at least a 10% increase in funding to help Goa accelerate its development and match the progress of other states. He stressed that improving infrastructure is crucial for the state's growth. Raiker also called for targeted investments to enhance public transportation systems, benefiting both tourists and industrial activities, while also reducing traffic-related accidents. As part of this, Assocham recommended replacing Kadamba Transport Corporation’s fleet with electric buses, especially within industrial estates. Sagar Salgaocar, Co-chairman of Assocham Goa, highlighted the urgency of establishing women-centric healthcare centres, particularly in rural areas, to address the rising number of cancer cases among women in the state. He also stressed the importance of training and empowering farmers with modern mechanical equipment and establishing institutes to reskill and upskill youth. Salgaocar further advocated for the development of regional and city-level logistics and last-mile connectivity plans. He called for funding to support the creation of action plans and public-private partnerships aimed at enhancing logistics infrastructure. This, he noted, would attract investments, generate revenue, and promote skill development in the logistics sector. (ET)