Goa’s IT department takes step towards drawing up policy for co-working spaces

September 5, 2022
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Goa's IT department takes step towards drawing up policy for co-working spaces

PANAJI: With the state keen on promoting marketing Goa as a co-working destination for digital nomads, the department for information and technology (DoIT) has asked international consultant EY to work on a co-working policy.

The policy will outline measures to attract high net-worth digital nomads and IT consultants to Goa.

Speaking to TOI, Khaunte said that DoIT has already identified land at Morjim, Caranzalem and Benaulim where the three co-working spaces will come up on the beach.

“We have already demarcated locations. Now we are moving the files and our consultant, EY, is already working on the policies and the rest of the requirements to support these working spaces,” said Khaunte.

Khaunte said that the existing IT policy is being tweaking slightly in order to provide support for the three co-working spaces and other niche IT sectors. Khaunte said that after the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities are over, a “brainstorming session” will be held to discuss the roadmap for the co-working spaces.

“Once this system picks up, it automatically starts attracting a certain type of IT professionals and then the next ones follow them. We are looking at the Estonia and Luxemburg models; a small populace with the right ideas and a creative place. This will not create a mass influx of population and will allow us to stop the brain drain. We don’t want a silicon valley concept,” the minister said.

During the monsoon assembly session, Khaunte had said that three co-working spaces will come up at Caranzalem, Benaulim and Morjim so that IT professionals could “work, do watersports, chill” and continue working.

Though Khaunte had also promised to create two public WiFi access points in each constituency, not all the MLAs have come forward with a list of possible locations.

“I have got requests from Taleigao, Benaulim, Porvorim, Sanquelim and some more. Right now we are trying for 17 to 19 locations and after that we will talk to the MLAs and find out more locations and then carry it ahead. Post the assembly, we have not received a list from the MLAs, which I thought I would be receiving. We will talk to each MLA,” the IT minister said.

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