Integrating Time in Public Policy: Any Evidence from Gender Diagnosis and Budgeting

NIPFP Working Paper 127
[PDF]

Lekha Chakraborty
October 2013

Abstract

Incorporating time in public policy making is an elusive area of research. Despite the fact that gender budgeting is emerging as a significant socio-economic tool to analyze the fiscal policies to identify its effect on gender equity, the integration of time use statistics into this process remain partial or even nil across countries. If gender budgeting is predominantly based on the indexbased gender diagnosis, a relook into the construction of the gender (inequality) index is relevant. This is significant to avoid a partial capture of gender diagnosis in the budget policy making. The “Hard-to-Price” services are hardly analysed for public policy making. The issue is all the more revealing, as the available gender (inequality) index so far has not integrated time use statistics in its calculations. From a public finance perspective, gender budgeting process often rest on the assumption that mainstream expenditure such as public infrastructure is non rival in nature and applying gender lens to these is not feasible. This argument is refuted by the time budget statistics. The time budget data revealed that this argument is often flawed, as there is intrinsic gender dimension to the non-rival expenditure.

Fiscal Consolidation with High Growth: A Policy Simulation Model for India

NIPFP Working Paper 73
[PDF]

Sudipto Mundle, N.R. Bhanumurthy, and Surajit Das
August 2010

Abstract

In this paper a fiscal consolidation program for India has been presented based on a policy simulation model that enables us to examine the macroeconomic implications of alternative fiscal strategies, given certain assumptions about other macro policy choices and relevant exogenous factors. The model is then used to estimate the outcomes resulting from a possible strategy of fiscal consolidation in the base case. The exercise shows that it is possible to have fiscal consolidation while at the same time maintaining high GDP growth of around 8% or so. The strategy is to gradually bring down the revenue deficit to zero by 2014-15, while allowing a combined fiscal deficit for centre plus states of about 6% of GDP. This provides the space for substantial government capital expenditure, which translates to a significant public investment program. This in turn leads to high overall investment directly and indirectly, via the crowding in effect on private investment, which drives the high GDP growth. The exercise has also tested the robustness of this strategy under two alternative scenarios of higher and lower advanced country growth compared to the base case.

Issues Before the Thirteenth Finance Commission

NIPFP Working Paper 55
[PDF]

M. Govinda Rao, Tapas Kumar Sen and Pratap R. Jena
August, 2008

Abstract
The Thirteenth Finance Commission faces challenging times. Despite improvement, the fiscal situation continues to be a matter of concern when off budget liabilities and other fiscal risks are considered. In the changing situation of increasing oil prices on the one hand and surge in capital flows on the other, calibrating the transfer system in tune with counter-cyclical fiscal policy stance is a formidable challenge.

The paper argues that irrespective of the wording of the Terms of Reference (ToR), the Commission would do well to focus on its primary task of recommending transfers to serve the objective of equity and incentives. While it is required to take into account a number of considerations, the focus should be on the transfer system. As an impartial body, the Commission should make a fair assessment of the union as well as state governments, ignoring the asymmetries in the wording of the ToR.

As regards the transfer system itself is concerned, the paper argues that
although it may be difficult to make drastic changes in the relative shares of the states, the Commission should give up the gap filling approach. Instead, after recommending the tax devolution, the Commission should recommend grants to fully equalise expenditures on elementary education and basic healthcare. It is also possible to incentivise the transfer system for even those states that have a better record of providing education and healthcare to improve quality of these services. If necessary, the tax devolution percentage can be appropriately adjusted to ensure equalisation of social services.

Fiscal Policy and Economic Reforms

NIPFP Working Paper 53,

Y.V.Reddy
July, 2008

In an lecture at NIPFP, RBI Governor Dr. Y.V Reddy gives a practitioner's perspective of fiscal policy and economic reforms.


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New Issues in Indian Macro Policy

NIPFP Working Paper 51,

Ajay Shah
May, 2008

Abstract
Macroeconomic policy thinking in India has been rooted in an environment with five key parameters: agricultural shocks rather than a conventional business cycle, a closed economy, deeply distortionary tax policy coupled with a fiscal crisis, financial markets that lacked speculative price discovery, and a monetary policy shaped by deficit financing. This environment has been completely altered through India’s integration into the world economy, the rise of one financial market (the equity market), the reduced importance of the monsoon, the rise of conventional business cycle dynamics, a partial abatement of the fiscal crisis and a monetary policy environment with loss of autonomy owing to exchange rate pegging. These changes call for a rethink of the macroeconomic policy framework. The agenda of assuring fiscal stability needs to be seen to its conclusion. Monetary policy and fiscal policy need to be converted into tools for macroeconomic stabilisation.

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