Former RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya has said that the government needs to reduce its dependence on bond markets and undertake a heavy disinvestment program along with urgently implementing land, labour and agricultural reforms. He said “it may not be easy to pull back on certain announced programmes. But in that case, one has to rationalise heavy programmes that are not delivering the supposed objectives.' He added that those programmes which are maybe the least attractive politically can be wound down as soon as possible and some space needs to be freed up for others to borrow in the Indian economy.
Acharya also felt that the government must undertake a really heavy disinvestment programme ideally by selling of majority stakes so that there is some improvements in productivity being accumulated at the same time by raising government funds through equity markets rather than bond markets. He said he strongly supports creation of an independent fiscal monitor, on the lines of a congregational budgeting office, where every time a programme is announced, there is an audit within two months that looks into what are the next five year implications of financing to be met for the particular programme.
Former RBI Deputy Governor further said the reforms will help bring a new set of people into the middle class who can then push up consumption. He said “right now we are doing a lot for them through the government balance sheet but I think it would be better to give them livelihood, higher real wages, higher consuming power.” He also said “I think that will actually make the programs sustainable. Otherwise, we may get into a low-growth, low-productivity trap. That's the fear I have with India's present fiscal projections and the present fiscal dominance that's affecting almost every sector of the economy.”
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