Goa to Amend Employment Exchanges Act to Prioritize Local Candidates

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the government will amend the Employment Exchanges Act to ensure private companies prioritize local candidates for recruitment. The amendment will require companies to inform the government about recruitment of 10 or more staffers, aiming to increase local employment.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday informed the legislative assembly that the state's Employment Exchanges Act will be amended to ensure that private companies give priority to local candidates in their recruitment.

At present, the state government cannot force private industries to hire local candidates, he said. The employment exchange currently sponsors local candidates during recruitment drives conducted by private industries. 'But we cannot force any industry to hire the (local) candidates...It depends on the skill, qualifications and the attitude of the candidate,' Sawant said.

He assured the House that the government will amend the Employment Exchanges (Compulsory Notification of Vacancies) Act, 1959 after taking industries into confidence. 'We will amend the law making it mandatory for industries to inform the government if they are recruiting 10 or more staffers. Earlier, they had to inform only when the recruitment was for 25 and more candidates,' he said. 'If we do this (amend), you will see that maximum local youths are employed,' he said.

Sawant also mentioned a new scheme in the Union budget, which requires companies to use their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to cover 10 percent of internship costs, creating more jobs in the private sector. State Revenue Minister Atanasio Monserratte stated the government has already made it mandatory for any company to inform the Employment Exchange about vacancies, with increased penalties for non-compliance.

(With inputs from agencies.)