Gounder: It is now up to the State

RECOMMENDATIONS made by the Fiscal Review Committee were done through consultation and dialogue, and not influenced by the Government or any other entity.

This, according to prominent economist Dr Neelesh Gounder, who was also part of the committee.

“I think the Government is very serious about consulting experts and stakeholders,” he said in an interview with this newspaper.

“I think there is a lot of genuine effort in terms of the Government’s intention to get views from not only an expert group, but also from the wider stakeholders.

“So, within the context, I must say that the Government will read the report and will be able to see whatever they can take out from the report.

“We have made our recommendations and the report is with the minister now, and it’s up to the Government of the day to see what they can take out from that and what they can implement.

“Remember, the Fiscal Review Committee was constituted as an independent committee.

“Our work was independent of the Government.”

Dr Gounder said they had made “a long list of recommendations” but it was up to the Government now to see whatever they could take away from the report and whatever they were willing to implement.

“We look at the evidence and the direction of the economy and the macroeconomic scenario. So, it was quite straightforward for us, but for the Government, it will be much more than that.

“They have to be mindful of the political economic scenario as well. And given that this is a Coalition Government, there are three different parties part of the Government.

“They have their own specific interest as well. So, let’s wait and see what the government implements from what we have recommended as the Fiscal Review Committee.”