Budget 2019: Nirmala Sitharaman appreciates suggestions, says officials will collate them

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Thursday appreciated the suggestions given by various stakeholders for the forthcoming budget and said that ministry officials will take note of them. Sitharaman, who is the first full-time woman finance minister, will be presenting the budget for 2019-20 on July 5. "Grateful for every thought/idea that's being shared by scholars, economists and enthusiasts through print, electronic, and on social media. I read many of them; also, my team carefully collates them for me. Value every bit. Thanks. Please keep them coming," the minister tweeted.

As Modi 2.0 government gets down to prepare its first budget, North Block, which houses the finance ministry here, will be in 'quarantine' or out of bounds for visitors and media from Monday. Sitharaman's budget team comprises Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur and Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian.

The official team is led by Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, Expenditure Secretary Girish Chandra Murmu, Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, DIPAM Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, and Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar.

In her budget, the 59-year-old JNU alumnus, Sitharaman, will have to address slowing economy, financial sector troubles like rising NPAs and liquidity crisis in NBFCs, job creation, private investments, exports revival, agrarian crisis and raise public investment without compromising on fiscal prudence.

The first session of the newly elected 17th Lok Sabha will be held from June 17 to July 26. The Economic Survey for 2019-20 will be tabled on July 4 followed by the presentation of the budget on the next day.