Sitharaman Calls for National Interest in Tax Policy

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for a more mature and research-driven debate on tax policy, urging stakeholders to put the national interest ahead of demands for tax cuts, exemptions or concessions.

Speaking at the inaugural session of a two-day Conference on New Age Taxation in Bengaluru, she said academics, researchers and think tanks should make independent tax-policy research a regular part of public discussions.
Referring to the Finance Ministry’s pre-Budget consultations, Sitharaman said the discussions should focus on what India’s tax system should look like over the next two decades as the country moves towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.

She also stressed the need for comprehensive research that considers the impact and trade-offs of policy proposals and suggests practical alternatives to offset any revenue loss to the government.