Paying heed to the hoteliers’ persistent demand for simplification of the licensing process in the state, the Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan has said the state government would set up a panel to look into the ‘single window’ system. “I agree that multiple licensing systems have become outdated and the need of the hour is to have a ‘single window’ system”, said Chavan, at the 15th Convention of the Hotel and Restaurant Association (HRA Western India) in Mumbai.
He said the panel will be headed by the chief secretary, who would suggest how the process could be simplified to attract more hoteliers to come and invest in the state. He also welcomed suggestions from the industry which will help the government formulise policies.
Chavan urged the hospitality industry to not only look at developing in Mumbai, but also smaller cities such as Nasik, Nanded, Latur, and Aurangabad, among others.
The electricity tariff in Maharashtra is among the highest. The chief minister said that he is not in favour of levying high taxes, and there is a need for rationalisation of taxes and electricity tariffs. “Reasonable taxes will help the industry to grow further”, he said.
