Indian economic slowdown will not last long: Prime Minister

16 Aug 2013 Evaluate

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that prevailing slowdown in Indian economy would not last long as the government is working hard to remedy the situation. Manmohan Singh said that over the last nine years, the country had attained average economic growth rate of 7.9 percent and therefore economic growth will recover soon on the back of strong growth potential. The government expects that Indian economic growth to recover to 6 percent in the FY14 from the decade low level of 5 percent recorded in the previous fiscal. 

Expecting positive impacts of the recent government’s move of allowing several sectors to foreign direct investment (FDI) in the coming months, Manmohan Singh said that the FDI limit on telecom sector was raised 100 percent from 74 percent, while restrictions in a dozen other sectors from insurance to tea plantations were eased or abolished. These steps will increase investment into the country and will generate new employment opportunities. In order to improve the infrastructure sector, Manmohan Singh said that the government will kick-start a number of new infrastructure projects including 8 new airports and two new sea-ports in the coming months. To remove hindrances in the way of stalled projects, the government has already set up the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI).

The government has also hoped to bring down current account deficit (CAD) to 3.7 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the current financial year by cutting imports, especially of gold, silver, oil and non-essential items. India’s CAD widened to a record high to $88.2 billion or 4.8 of GDP in the previous fiscal on account of high gold imports and crude oil prices. The recent volatility in the currency markets was largely due to the growing concerns over the high CAD and growing inflation, reflecting pressure on the domestic currency. Rupee value depreciated to a record low of over 62 per dollar on August 16.

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