Pre-Budget meeting with stakeholders from Jan 4

Finance ministry has sounded the Budget bugle with pre-Budget meetings starting from January 4. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will hold pre-budget consultations with different stakeholders including trade unions, financial institutions and economists but the trade bodies will come first. This will be followed by banking, social sector and industry on Januray 5 and 6.

Jaitley is expected to present his third Budget on February 29, 2016. Jaitley will also meet agriculture sector, IT groups and economists thereafter. The meetings were aimed at firming up Budget estimates for 2016-17 for Plan and non-Plan expenses.

The customary pre-budget consultations are considered important as they help government in formulating policies. Government has already begun budgetary exercise with Department of Expenditure holding meetings with officials of other ministries and departments.