In a significant administrative reform aimed at modernising maritime governance, the Government of Goa has officially designated the Captain of Ports (CoP) to function as the Goa Maritime Board, operationalising the provisions of the Indian Ports Act, 2025. The notification also appoints the Captain of Ports as the Conservator for all minor ports across the state, with both appointments taking immediate effect.
The move marks a major transition from Goa’s traditional departmental port administration to a dedicated maritime board structure, in line with the Central Government’s Indian Ports Act, 2025, which replaces the colonial-era Indian Ports Act of 1908. The new legislation mandates coastal states to modernise and align their port governance systems with contemporary national standards.
The newly notified Goa Maritime Board is expected to enjoy enhanced statutory powers and greater institutional autonomy, enabling it to oversee port safety, navigation, regulatory functions, infrastructure development, and the management of Goa’s extensive network of inland waterways and minor ports more effectively.
The establishment of a dedicated maritime board has been a long-standing demand of stakeholders from the maritime industry. Shipping professionals, shipbuilders, logistics experts, and policymakers have consistently advocated for a specialised institutional framework to drive the sector’s growth. Public representatives, including Benaulim MLA Venzy Viegas, along with former Captain of Ports Elvis Gomes, have previously emphasised that a fully empowered maritime board would strengthen Goa’s maritime ecosystem and improve governance.
Industry representatives have also welcomed the development, noting that a dedicated maritime board is expected to facilitate greater private investment while creating employment opportunities across the logistics, tourism, port services, and shipbuilding sectors.
The administrative restructuring follows closely after the inauguration of the new ₹48.8-crore Captain of Ports Terminal Building on the Mandovi riverfront in Panaji earlier this month. The modern three-storey facility was inaugurated by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and is envisioned as the operational headquarters of the Goa Maritime Board.
Interestingly, the notification comes shortly after discussions surrounding the naming of the new terminal. Former Captain of Ports Elvis Gomes had publicly questioned the decision to inaugurate the facility under the old departmental nomenclature instead of the legally envisaged Goa Maritime Board framework.
With the board now formally notified, the Goa Government is expected to move swiftly in framing the statutory rules and operational guidelines that will govern the functioning of the Goa Maritime Board, laying the foundation for a modern, investment-friendly, and professionally managed maritime administration in the state.
