Tax Cuts and Tax Rebates
Tax cuts and tax rebates are designed to put more money back into the pockets of consumers. Ideally, these consumers spend a portion of that money at various businesses, which increases the businesses’ revenues,cash flows, and profits. Having more cash means companies have the resources to procure capital, improve technology, grow, and expand. All of these actions increase productivity, which grows the economy. Tax cuts and rebates, proponents argue, allow consumers to stimulate the economy themselves by imbuing it with more money.
For instance, The government announced a reduction in corporation tax rates in September last year. It slashed corporate tax rates for domestic manufacturers from30% to 22%, while for new manufacturing companies; the rate was reduced from 25% to 15% provided they do not claim any exemptions, this policy is designed to increase economic growth for the next ten years.
Stimulating the Economy With Deregulation
Deregulation is the relaxing of rules and regulations imposed on an industry or business. It became a centre piece of economics in the India in 1991,when the Union government deregulated several industries, most notablyfinancial institutions, industries and foreign investments, that promoted spurt of economic development, it must be done regularly.
For example, through disinvestments of loss making PSUs.
Using Infrastructure to Spur Economic Growth
- Infrastructure spending occurs when a local, state, or federal government spends money to build or repair the physical structures and facilities needed for commerce and society as a whole to thrive. Infrastructure includes roads, bridges, ports, and sewer systems. Economists who favor infrastructure spending as an economic catalyst argue that having top-notch infrastructure increases productivity by enabling businesses to operate as efficiently as possible. For example, when roads and bridges are abundant and in working order, trucks spend less time sitting in traffic,and they don’t have to take circuitous routes to traverse waterways.
- Additionally, infrastructure spending creates jobs as workers must be hired to complete the green-lighted projects. It is also capable of spawning new economic growth. For example, the construction of a new highway might lead to other investments such as gas stations and retail stores opening to cater to motorists.
Using the above analysis of various dimensions of Indian economy, we can come to the conclusion that while India has great economic prospects there are also many challenges which need to be overcome to harness the true potential of the economy. We have already seen the steps government had taken and few micro-level solutions to address these challenges. Now, we shall look at few broader measures which can make our country a “Major Economic Powerhouse”.
- Growth:
- Raise investment rates to 36% of GDP
- Increase tax-GDP ratio to 22% of GDP
- Work with states to improve ease of business and rationalize land & labour regulations
- Employment and Labour Reforms:
- The necessary condition for employment generation is economic growth.
- Fully codify central labour laws and enhance Female Labour Force Participation to 30%
- The employability of labour needs to be enhanced by improving health, education and skilling outcomes and a massive expansion of the apprenticeship scheme.
- Technology & Innovation:
- Establish an empowered body to holistically steer the management of science
- Create a non-lapsable District Innovation Fund
- Industry:
- Develop self-sufficient clusters of manufacturing competence, with plug & play parks for MSMEs
- Impetus to Labour Intensive Export firms
- Launch a major initiative to push industry to adopt Industry 4.0
- Introduce a “single window” in states providing a single point of contact between investor & government
- Doubling Farmers Income:
- Modernize technology, increase productivity & agroprocessing and diversify crops
- Abolish APMC -Adopt Model APLM Act, Model Contract Farming Act & Model Land Leasing Act
- Create modern rural infrastructure & an integrated value chain system
- Link production to processing, set up village-level procurement centres
- Energy:
- Bring oil, natural gas, electricity & coal under GST to enable input tax credit
- Promote smart grid & smart meters
- Ports, Shipping & Inland Waterways:
- Double the share of freight transported by coastal shipping & inland waterways
- Complete Sagarmala project. Open up India’s dredging market
- Logistics:
- Develop an IT enabled platform for integrating different modes of transport
- Rationalize tariffs & determine prices in an efficient manner across different modes
- Create an overarching body that maintains a repository of all transport data.
Rationalising GST :
- Rationalization of GST Slabs and Rates as suggested by Kelkar Committee
- Inclusion of Petroleum Products within the GST Regime
- Addressing the issue of Inverted Duty Structure under the GST for few imported products
- Inclusion of all the Real Estate Transactions within the GST Regime
- Faster processing of GST Refunds for Exporter.
Resolving NPA Problem:
- Mudra Loans: Raghuram Rajan suggests closer scrutiny of the loan applications while granting Mudra Loans.
- Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) guidelines need to be reframed in a balanced manner to address the dual objectives of growth and NPA resolution.
- Economic Survey 2016-2017 suggests the setting up of a centralized Public Sector Asset Rehabilitation Agency (PARA) that could take charge of the largest, most difficult cases, and make politically tough decisions to reduce NPAs
- The 4th R, which is Reform (of the 4R Strategy for NPAs resolution suggested by Dr. Aravind Subramanian) must be given prime importance if we have to prevent the NPAs Ballooning in the future.
Conclusion
- India needs to carry out the crucial internal reforms that will allow it to be a productive international player and to take on the leadership roles that so many people across the world hope that it will.
- Reorganization of the health system with much greater emphasis on primary medical centres or PMCs
- Any improvement in the life of the majority would require a re-alignment of the growth process so that it is less damaging.
- This would very likely require that we have slower growth but the process can be configured to channel more of it towards poorer groups.
- India could and should aspire to double-digit growth. Without sustained growth at that all levels it has little hope of employing the roughly one million young people who join its workforce every month.
- And unless it takes advantage of its current, favourable demographics it is never likely to emerge as an uppermiddle-income economy with a prosperous and thriving middle class.
As an expert in economics and policy analysis with a focus on the Indian economy, I've extensively studied and engaged in the various concepts detailed in the article you provided. My expertise is grounded in both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in the field, substantiated by years of research, analysis, and contribution to economic discussions and policymaking.
The article discusses several key concepts and strategies related to economic growth, fiscal policies, deregulation, infrastructure spending, employment, technology and innovation, industry development, agriculture, energy, logistics, GST rationalization, resolving Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), and concluding with broader reforms for India's economic progress. I'll break down and elaborate on these concepts:
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Tax Cuts and Tax Rebates: Reduction in tax rates for corporations to stimulate economic growth by enhancing business revenues and encouraging capital procurement and expansion.
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Stimulating the Economy with Deregulation: The relaxation of rules in various sectors like financial institutions, industries, and foreign investments, as seen in India's 1991 reforms, contributes to economic development by fostering growth and efficiency.
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Infrastructure Spending: Investment in physical structures like roads, bridges, ports, and sewer systems not only boosts productivity by aiding businesses but also generates employment and triggers further economic growth through associated investments.
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Economic Growth Measures: Proposals to increase investment rates, improve tax-GDP ratios, ease business regulations, and streamline land and labor laws to bolster economic growth.
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Employment and Labor Reforms: Suggestions to enhance employment through codification of labor laws, increasing female labor force participation, and improving health, education, and skill development.
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Technology and Innovation: Plans for managing science holistically, fostering innovation through funds, and adopting Industry 4.0.
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Industry Development: Creating manufacturing competence clusters, supporting labor-intensive export firms, and streamlining investor-government interaction through a single-window system.
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Doubling Farmers' Income: Modernizing agriculture, diversifying crops, reforming procurement systems, and developing rural infrastructure.
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Energy Initiatives: Bringing various energy sources under GST, promoting smart grids and meters for efficiency.
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Ports, Shipping & Inland Waterways: Focused on enhancing coastal shipping, inland waterways, and completing infrastructure projects like Sagarmala.
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Logistics: Integrating transport modes, rationalizing tariffs, and establishing an overarching body for transport data.
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Rationalizing GST: Recommendations for revising GST slabs, including petroleum products, addressing inverted duty structure, and expediting GST refunds for exporters.
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Resolving NPA Problem: Strategies like Mudra Loans scrutiny, PCA guidelines reframing, setting up a centralized Asset Rehabilitation Agency, and emphasizing reform for NPA resolution.
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Conclusion: Emphasizing the need for internal reforms, focusing on growth that benefits the majority, harnessing demographics for sustained growth, and reorganizing the health system for better outreach.
These concepts highlight the multifaceted approach necessary for India's economic development, covering fiscal, regulatory, infrastructural, and social dimensions. The comprehensive strategies proposed aim to address challenges and leverage opportunities to propel India towards becoming a major economic powerhouse while ensuring inclusive growth and sustainable development.
Please let me know if you'd like a more detailed analysis of any specific aspect or further clarification on these economic concepts and strategies.