UNION BUDGET 2009 EXPERTS VIEW :
When do you expect the global economy to be back on track?
You would recall that the crisis originated in the US housing sector and then spread to the rest of the world. So the crisis will be resolved when the sector gets back on track. Evidence so far suggests that it has not. Though data showed US home sales were up last month, many of them are properties that were foreclosed and sold. New homes sales have not picked up much. I do not see the bottom being reached for another year or so. Taking of global GDP, there again the rate of decline has slowed down. I would not be surprised if by the last quarter of 2009, we see a turnaround. If not, it will be the first quarter of 2010. But this is going to be a slow growth recovery
The road ahead has just got smoother for highway developers. State-owned India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL) will refinance 60% of
commercial bank loans for public-private projects over the next 15-18 months. The move would ease the tight liquidity in the market for road developers and speed up highway development.
“IIFCL and banks are now in a position to support projects involving a total investment of Rs 1,00,000 crore in infrastructure. In consultation with banks, IIFCL would evolve a takeout financing schemes to facilitate incremental lending in the sector,” said finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, adding he would ensure sufficient funds for the sector.
Under takeout financing, a few banks come together to take over loan portfolios, in turn. For example, if ICICI, SBI and PNB finance a long-term project for 15 years, by turn they will lend for five years.
But industry experts feel takeout financing would not help much, especially in the beginning. “This move will not bring much funds to the sector in the beginning, as the concept is still at a nascent stage, but it is a signal in the right direction. It will give some comfort to commercial banks to lend to the road sector,” said Soma Enterprise director Ankineedu Maganti.
The government also increased plan allocation to National Highways Development Authority (NHAI) for the national highway development programme by 23% to Rs 8,578 crore in the current financial year. Road transport and highways minister Kamal Nath has recently announced that 20 km of roads would be laid per day. He had proposed a road financing entity on the lines of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and a Re 1 cess on petrol and diesel to fund highway projects. None of the proposals, however, figured in the Budget speech.
Road projects have failed to meet scheduled targets due to a shortage of funds, delay in land acquisition, law and order problems and default by developers. “I have urged my colleagues in central and state governments to remove policy, regulatory and institutional bottlenecks for speedy implementation of infrastructure projects,” Mr Mukherjee said.
OMG the FM jst gave us a missed call... ’ That was a young twitterbug alerting his friends about what he saw as budgetary attention to Young India.
OMG the FM jst gave us a missed call... ’ That was a young twitterbug alerting his friends about what he saw as budgetary attention to Young India.
Indeed , across campuses, the mood is of hope.
Fr Frazer Mascarenhas, principal of St Xavier’s College , Mumbai, describes the budget as “exciting” for allowing weaker sections access to higher education. IIT-Delhi director Surendra Prasad too sees the interest-free education loan scheme as an “empowerment mechanism” . As Hemanshu Sharma of IIMAhmedabad puts it, “Education should not remain a commodity for the affluent.”
The missing accent on primary education however, is glaring. “The government must reach out to these levels . It may not make news so easily as the opening of a new IIT, but it will benefit the country in the long run,” says Paul N Savio a student of IIM-Calcutta . But, Prof Asish K Bhattacharyya of IIM-C , feels the absence of a policy statement on education should not be taken as negative.
And the many tax sops, youngsters believe, will provide their parents with a nest egg for higher studies.
Says Sashi Kant Sharma of IIFT, Delhi: “The hike in the IT exemption limit will help increase disposable income.” He also feels the hike in infrastructure funds will help put India on the growth trajectory.
But, students are sceptical on many counts. Pallavi Gandhi wonders whether the subsidy for poor students will reach the beneficiaries.
Energy and conservation — pet issues of Gen Y — have been given a miss. Swati Maheshwari of Delhi points to the lack of concern towards ecology. “It has nothing concrete on climate change. The government has just shifted its river programme under the climate change head.”
Asha Palolil, an MBA student in St Joseph’s College, Bangalore asks why the FM has not given ample attention to pure sciences and research. “Now is the time when Isro and other premier research institutes are crying out for manpower.” she says. “Why have educational loan interest rates for women been lowered ?” asks Maria Burbey of Stella Maris, Chennai.
The verdict is that the FM has done a lot for students, a section of the salaried class, women and also for infrastructure . Meanwhile, the twitterbug is happy he can now buy a bluetooth dongle for his mobile phones. Accessories just got cheaper.
NEW DELHI: With the economic slowdown affecting exports and impacting capital flows, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said India wants a
concerted and well- coordinated global response to address systemic failures and to stimulate the real economy.
"The global financial and economic slowdown that we are witnessing is particularly detrimental for the development objectives of developing countries such as India. This has not been a crisis of our making, but we have had to bear its consequences," he said in a statement before leaving for Italy to attend the two-day Summit meeting of G-8 industrialised nations beginning July 9.
"The slowdown in the advanced economies has affected our exports, strengthened protectionist sentiments and impacted credit and capital flows. We would, therefore, like to see a concerted and well-coordinated global response to address systemic failures and to stimulate the real economy," the Prime Minister said.
During his four-day stay in Italy, Singh will also attend a meeting of the leaders of the G-5 group of 'outreach' countries comprising Brazil, China, Mexico and South Africa besides India.
The Prime Minister said, "In the longer run, we would like to see a much higher level of stability and sustainability in growth patterns of the developed world, and in international financial governance."