Delhi (News Trust of India) : In the field of financial management, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s presentation of the temporary budget in a year of elections leaves a noticeable gap, serving as a temporary measure until the expected month of July for possible relief. Speaking to the esteemed Parliament, Sitharaman avoids extravagant statements and does not provide any new gestures of goodwill to the hopeful middle class who are impatiently waiting for relief from their tax responsibilities. This budget noticeably avoids the usual approach of providing tax relief in interim budgets, giving the clear sense that if such relief is going to happen, the middle class will have to wait until July 2024.
An in-depth analysis of the budget shows an interesting overuse of the phrase “tax,” which is mentioned by the minister a surprising 42 times. Interestingly, the topic of tax relief for the middle class is noticeably missing from this budgetary story, following a long-standing custom. The suggestion is clear – the middle class would have to wait patiently for a possible tax relief till the comprehensive budget is introduced in July 2024, depending on the reformation of the Narendra Modi government after the general elections.
In a discreet acknowledgment of political circumstances, Sitharaman gently suggests the potential comeback of her administration after the upcoming general elections. Her speech hints at a determined comeback, with an indirect mention of the government’s goal to turn the country into a developed India by 2047. The finance minister expresses confidence in the possibility of the NDA government’s return, pledging a thorough plan to achieve the ambitious objective of a developed India in the comprehensive budget scheduled for July.
Sitharaman claims that this upcoming budget will act as the forefront, revealing the plan for a developed India. She avows the government’s steadfast determination to reinforce the economy, propelling it towards unprecedented growth while creating an agreeable climate for residents to achieve their goals. Quoting the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address, Sitharaman evokes a commitment to development suffused with fresh impulses, newfound understanding, and persistent perseverance.
Reflecting on the economic trajectory since 2014, the finance minister attributed the country’s progress to sagacious economic management and savvy governance. The forthcoming comprehensive budget in July promises to build upon this narrative, clarifying a thorough roadmap toward the cherished objective of a ‘developed India.’
Expressing gratitude to the country’s taxpayers, Sitharaman lauds their crucial role in the fiscal environment. Direct tax collection, she says, has burgeoned by more than quadruple during the previous decade, while the number of return filers has grown by a factor of 2.4. The finance minister assures taxpayers that their contributions have been carefully spent for the nation’s prosperity and the wellbeing of its inhabitants. In keeping with history, Sitharaman abstains from proposing modifications to tax rates in this budget, pledging continuity in the current tax framework.
The established norm of eschewing populist statements in budgets preceding general elections finds resonance in this fiscal story. Sitharaman refrains from making any populist proclamations, keeping the door ajar for prospective tax relief if the government gains electoral triumph, to be presented in the complete budget due for presentation in July.
