Did not resort to tax hike to fund pandemic relief, recovery: Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said that the focus of the government is on economic recovery and even with the pandemic in the last two years, the government has not resorted to tax hike to fund the pandemic relief.

"We have not taken the tax route to mobilise resources. Last year, we did not fall back in the name of Covid tax or any other tax to mobilise sources required to meet the challenges of recovery. So did we in this budget as well," Sitharaman said in her reply during the debate on the Finance Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Sitharaman said that there was a clear understanding and direction from the prime minister that the Budget shall not draw on resources by taxing people at this time when recovery is the most important element. "Sustained recovery was the point which was underlined," Sitharaman said.