India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has described her upcoming budget as unlike anything seen in the last 100 years.
When she presents it on Feb. 1, Sitharaman will not only aim to repair battered government finances and ensure demand recovers in an economy facing its worst contraction since 1952, she must also revive declining revenue and restore millions of jobs lost during the pandemic. That will be crucial to boosting consumer sentiment in a country where local demand contributes nearly 60% of gross domestic product.
“The virus has led to a demand shock and the budget might need to focus on that,” said Bank of America economist Indranil Sen Gupta, pointing to in-house surveys that showed 19% of respondents were laid off during the pandemic. Demand has to be created either through cutting taxes on fuels or providing income support and spending on infrastructure projects, he said.
Source: Business Standard
