Union Budget will focus on growth and not populism: Finance Minister
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday indicated that the upcoming Budget will not resort to sheer populism for good ratings and will focus on structural reforms.
Stating that fundamentals have to be strong enough, he said, the Budget has to weigh the areas of weaknesses where investments are required.
Speaking at The ET Global Business Summit in New Delhi, he said India should aspire for achieving economic growth rates of 8 to 9 percent to lift its people out of poverty.Mr Jaitley also said Indian economy has to be put on a sounder platform as country has the potential to grow.
The Finance Minister expressed hoped that the main opposition Congress will see reason and help in passage of GST Bill in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament.Mr. Jaitley said the GST is the important reform of UPA and if he had to credit the authorship of the bill, he will give it to the Congress.
Mr. Jaitley said the three objections raised by the Congress are against the brain of the Bill which UPA had brought.The Minister further said every party with the exception of the Congress is actively supporting the GST Bill.GST which will subsume all indirect taxes is stalled in the Rajya Sabha.
