Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday launched the “NITI NCAER States Economic Forum” portal and said that the platform will provide authentic data which would help States to make more meaningful interventions, raise their own revenues, manage debts and learn from peer experiences.
In her keynote address at the portal launch, Sitharaman emphasised the importance of balance in public finances, between revenue generation without burdening the people, as per a statement issued by Niti Aayog.
This forum is a much-needed step in present times which will help in greater engagement with States, she remarked.
The portal is a comprehensive repository of data on social, economic and fiscal parameters, research reports, papers and expert commentary on State Finances for a period of about 30 years (i.e 1990-91 to 2022-23).
The portal will facilitate an understanding of macro, fiscal, demographic and socio-economic trends; easily accessible data and user-friendly format and will also address the ongoing need for consolidated sectoral data in one place, the Finance Minister’s Office posted on X.
It will further help in benchmarking the data of each State against that of other States and the national figures.
It will also provide a forum to policymakers, researchers and others interested in alluding to the data for informed debates and discussions.
Director General of National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Dr. Poonam Gupta in her presentation on the portal highlighted the diverse nature of fiscal path of the States.
She underlined the need for a portal which has comprehensive data of all States, thereby, providing an opportunity to appreciate the position of other States while making informed policy decisions, the Niti Aayog statement read.
CEO of NITI Aayog, BVR Subrahamanyam stated that this forum will not only provide information for public knowledge but will also create awareness and fiscal learning across States.
