Whither India? Several approaches to this question Society in transition in which the main problem...
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Transcript of Whither India? Several approaches to this question Society in transition in which the main problem...
Whither India?
• Several approaches to this question• Society in transition in which the main
problem lies in securing– Short-term stabilization– Medium-term economic growth– Long-term sustainability
• High cost of delay will have to be paid domestically
Reform Process so far• First Generation – externalities and learning by
doing• The immediate goal of macroeconomic
stabilization has been more or less achieved• Huge slack in the economy - whence first
generation reforms led to significant leaps in the early years
• Biggest success of reforms – forex and debt management
• Better on the Easy, Slack on the Tough
Issues
• Agriculture, which accounts for 25% of GDP but 60% of employment (and this proportion is worsening) has been virtually untouched by reforms
• Fiscal discipline – arresting the fiscal deficit
• Health, Education, Infrastructure are not squarely on the agenda
Issues
• emphasis on reforms of product markets by abolishing industrial licensing and import barriers. left the factor markets such as labor markets, land markets and capital markets, the natural resources market such as water, and institutions mostly untouched
• Have reforms helped the poor?– Trickle down effect
• Geographically uneven growth
Environment
• As reforms have progressed– Complexity of our polity has increased– Duration of our governments uncertain– Interplay of vested interests confusing
• Requires coordination between all the central government ministries as well as cooperation from the state governments
Second Generation• Second-generation reforms included labor law
reforms, pension fund reforms, subsidy reforms, increased social sector spending and agriculture reforms– Medium term fiscal consolidation through expenditure
control– Restructuring PSUs– Reducing long term interest rates– Reform in higher education– Market for corporate control competitive– Strengthening regulation of FIs & markets– Privatisation of banks
Budget Strategy (2002-2003)
Continue the emphasis on agriculture and food economy reforms
Enhance public and private investment in infrastructure
Strengthen the financial sector and capital marketsDeepen structural reforms and regenerate industrial
growthProvide social security to the poorConsolidate tax reforms and continue fiscal
adjustment at both the Central and State levels
Economic Policy
• Preparing an exit policy
• Restructuring agriculture
• Policy on Privatisation and restructuring public enterprises
• Reducing indebtedness
Social Policy• Establishing a social safety net• Creating a fund for retraining and learning
new skills• Combating communalism• Redefining the terms of implementation of
the notion of compensatory discrimination• Intensifying national integration through
heightened awareness of the need to formulate and implement a UCC on the basis of consensus arrived at as a result of public debate
Political Reform
• Redefining Center/State relations
• Debate on Presidential form of government
• Federal/Unitary divide
• Reducing central control and introducing greater accountability by increasing public participation in governance
Key to the future will lie in the ability to establish
– Effective and complete decentralization– Efficiency before equity– Means to overcome institutional, ideological
and ecological barriers to good governance: transparency
Major impediment lies in refusal to change the mindset derived from
– Stilted entrepreneurship of a controlled economy
– Relatively closed society
Middle class both a curse and a blessing– A growing market offset by the get rich quick
mentality, which is at the base of the ubiquitous problem of corruption
Moral of the Story
The prospects of a successful transition are uncertain, but there is, for better or for worse,
simply no other way!
Definition of Competitiveness
A Nation’s competitiveness is the degree to which it can under free and fair market conditions, produce goods and services that meet the test of international markets while simultaneously expanding the real income of its citizens
Definition of CompetitivenessBased on
• superior productivity performance
• economy’s ability to shift output to high productivity activities, which in turn can generate a high level of wages
Associated with• rising living standards
• expanding employment opportunities
• ability of a nation to maintain its international obligations
Not merely• a measure of a nation’s ability to sell abroad
• or to maintain a trade equilibrium
India’s Special Strengths & Weaknesses(Source: 1998 Global Competitiveness Report)
Strengths Scale Rank
Stock Market (1 – 7)
Science and Engineering
Labor Force
Rule of Law
Stock market is important for new financing 5.42 13
Schools excel in basic science and math 5.27 16
Country has large pool of competent scientists & engineers 6.37 1
Engineering as a profession greatly attracts young talent 6.26 1
Country has first class business schools to train managers 5.05 8
Country has an abundant labor force 6.77 1
Judiciary is independent of the Government 5.40 9
Compliance with court ruling is high 5.37 14
Firms have recourse to courts for challenging govt. action 5.56 19
India’s Special Strengths & WeaknessesWeaknesses Scale Rank
Financial Markets (1 – 7)
Infrastructure
Corruption & Bribery
Citizens prohibited from investing in foreign stocks, bonds 1.60 53
Financial sector sophistication is lower than intl. Norms 2.74 43
Venture capital is scarce 2.63 50
Overall infra is far worse than major trading partners 1.92 53
Road infra constrains business development 1.85 53
Port facilities are underdeveloped 2.18 53
Direct dial phone service is prohibitively expensive 2.94 53
Country suffers from severe power shortages 1.94 53
Extra payments connected with permits/licenses common 2.79 48
India’s Special Strengths & WeaknessesWeaknesses (contd.) Scale Rank
Public Administration (1 – 7)
Research & Development
Labor Regulations
Admin. Regulations that constrain business are pervasive 2.90 47
Government subsidies keep old industries alive 2.68 52
Civil Service is subject to political pressures 2.65 43
Tax evasion is rampant 2.27 48
The business sector spends little on R & D 2.11 52
Research collaboration does not exist bet. Univ. & industry 2.66 53
Firms fail to commercialize academic research 2.66 51
Companies poorly adapted to absorbing new tech. 2.29 34
Average workers are unproductive 2.94 51
Hiring and firing practices severly restricted 2.16 53
Lab. reg. impede adj. in work hrs. to meet changes in dem. 2.58 49
Highlights• Agriculture – proposed to be opened up
– Decimalization of the export of agricultural commodities and phasing out of remaining export controls
– Expansion of futures and forward trading to cover all agricultural commodities
• Infrastructure– The focus of reform has shifted from generation
to transmission and distribution.– Major ports to be corporative in a phased
manner
Highlights (contd.)
• Banking– A new Bill on Banking Sector Reforms to
strengthen creditor rights through foreclosure and enforcement of securities by banks and financial institutions
• Petroleum– Pricing of products market determined– Liquidation of the Oil Pool Account