Four-member panel to select IPB consultant

Panaji: A four-member committee led by state industry secretary Manoj Sahoo has been appointed to vet and select the consultant for the Investment Promotion Board (IPB). With the committee already opening bids submitted by international consultants, indications are IPB may finally get a consultant on board two years after the Goa Investment Policy was announced in 2014, sources said.
IPB, headed by chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar, had invited bids from some leading international consulting firms for the position of the satellite consultant and hopes to announce the name of the appointee in 15-20 days, an official source said. However, given the government’s pace of progress during chief executive officer Ashton Godinho’s appointment, many are doubtful about the state’s ability to carry out the task.
The request for proposal (RFP) for consultant was issued in early May. Rather than opt for an open tender, the government had shortlisted about 10 consulting groups, including McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group, Bain and Deloitte Consulting, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young and written to them seeking their interest through sealed bids.
The BJP-led state government aims to achieve its 50,000 jobs and 25,000 crore of investment target through the IPB, whose efficiency hinges on a satellite consultant, a firm that will help potential investors to structure project proposals as well as weed out those that may not benefit the state.
Over the last two meetings, IPB has “deferred” several projects for want of additional information or doubts about the promoter’s objectives behind the project. Board officials said the consultant will help scrutinize proposals and follow up with various departments once the in-principle approval is given.