SME Times News Bureau | 19 May, 2018
A
group of leading economists met the Fifteenth Finance Commission on
Thursday and opined that the permissible limits on borrowings
under Fiscal Consolidation roadmap needed to be equally applicable to
Centre and States in the context of overall macroeconomic framework.
The
economists further opined that it would be realistic to use
contemporary population data but weightage should be assigned to
population and also rewards for population stabilization policy.
It
could be appropriately determined by the commission. Commission needs
to balance equity with efficiency, they viewed.
They
said that issues of uncertainty
pertaining to GST needed to be fully factored in.
The Chairman summing the discussion felt that
continued engagement with Domain Experts over the coming months will
help commission in firming up the approach before reaching tentative
conclusions both on the vertical and horizontal devolution of
revenue.
Besides an approach for local bodies and
panchayats which were both realistic and would genuinely deliver the
intended resources to the beneficiaries.
Later, Commission also held the first meeting with
the Advisory Council to get inputs on various issues under the
purview of the Commission.
These included political economy behind the
Centrally Sponsored Schemes, future of CSS, methods required for long
term financing of schemes, stabilization of GST.