EAC-PM convenes its first meeting, economic growth-employment generation key focus of the roadmap ahead

New Delhi, Oct 12 (KNN) In the first meeting of the recently constituted Economic Advisory Council to the prime Minister led by Dr. Bibek Debroy, Member, NITI Aayog, ways to boost the economic growth in the country along with generation of employment opportunities remained the prime focus.

During the meeting, Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Arvind Subramanian focused attention on accelerating economic growth, including investments and exports-using a combination of different policy levers.

The high-level meeting also chalked out then themes around which the body would work. The EAC-PM would collaborate with sectoral ministries, states, experts institutions, private sector and other stakeholders under different themes including Economic Growth; Employment and job creation; informal sector and integration; fiscal framework and monetary policy.

Also public expenditure; institutions of Economic Governance; Agriculture & Animal Husbandry; Patterns of Consumption & Production and Social Sector are to be a part of the focussed roadmap ahead.

The council further suggested that there should be a mechanism for effective tracking of key economic parameters using lead indicators and triggers for action, based on informed assessment and analysis.

Key economists and other government officials including Dr. Surjit Bhalla, Dr. Rathin Roy, Dr. Ashima Goyal and Member Secretary Ratan P Watal, also former Finance Secretary and Principal Adviser NITI Aayog were present at the meeting.

The council was constituted earlier by the PMO in the aftermath of the country’s slowed 3-year low GDP in the June quarter. GDP slowed to 5.7 per cent in the April-June period from 6.1 per cent in the preceding quarter, following which different stakeholders as well as government officials have raised concerns. (With PIB Inputs) (KNN/ DA)