Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the second part of Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on March 29, 2022. (PTI Photo)
New Delhi, March 29 (PTI): Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the Budget for the next fiscal will attract private investment, and ensure a predictable economic recovery in the years to come.
Replying to a debate on appropriation and finance bills in the Rajya Sabha, she also defended the handling of inflation but acknowledged the ongoing war in Russia and Ukraine has posed fresh challenges, including higher oil prices, and disruptions in supply chains.
The Upper House later returned the two bills without any changes, other than those proposed by the government, completing the nearly two months long parliamentary process for approval of the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning April 1.
"...newer challenges are before us, (in the) Budget presentation I had not taken into account the Omicron and now we are also facing the situation of a full-blown war in Ukraine which is not some war in some corner of the world. But it is seemed to be having an impact on all countries like the way the pandemic had," the minister said.
She said the war has affected the value chains, and the world markets are caught up in a situation where nothing is normal.
The minister said that while 32 countries (as per an OECD report) resorted to taxation to revive their economies, the Modi-led government did not increase taxes.
"So you are in a situation where like during the pandemic we came up with a Budget and then came the second wave. This time we came up with budget continuity aimed at recovery...and then Omicorn and now we also have war whose impact has been felt by all of us," she said.
Sitharaman said the government did not resort to taxation for resource mobilisation to deal with the impact of the Covid pandemic.
"Last year we did not fall back on any increase in taxation rates in the name of Covid tax or in the name of any other element of tax to have the resources mobilized for the sake of meeting the challenges of recovery, so we did in this budget as well," she stressed.
She further said the Prime Minister had directed that the Budget should not draw on resources by taxing people at this time when recovery is the most important element and that "we should find resources and fully continue with the predictable recovery that we were aiming at".
Referring to issues concerning private investment, Sitharaman said following the pandemic, the government had stepped up the investment with a view to creating an environment to revive and sustain the economy.
"...we believe that the government and the private sector are partners in assuring development in this economy. There is no 'us versus them' when it comes to government and the private sector," the minister said and highlighted measures like the PLI scheme, and PM Gatishakti, to attract private investment.
The government is conscious of the need to balance the growth and also make sure India's recovery post-Covid is sustainable, she said and added the budget reflects this commitment and outlays the way forward.
Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from news agency feeds and has not been edited by The Morung Express.
Source: PTI
