India still continues to be the fastest growing economy and demonetisation has had no effect on the Indian economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Rajya Sabha .
The Minister, while responding to supplementaries during the Question Hour, said the manufacturing sector has had a certain fall, but it is not attributable to demonetisation.
She said economic growth is high on the agenda of the government and various reforms are being undertaken in many spheres to improve GDP growth.
Ms. Sitharaman said “the moderation in growth momentum in 2018-19 is primarily on account of lower growth in ‘Agriculture and allied’, ‘trade, hotel, transport, storage, communication and services related to broadcasting’ and ‘public administration and defence’ sectors.”
“If the impact of low growth in certain sectors has impacted growth rate, particularly in agriculture and allied activities as also in financial and real estate and professional services, there has been a fall, particularly in agriculture based on third advance estimates, it is believed that there has been a 0.6% decline in the output.
“If the impact on the low growth is because of outcomes from these sectors, the manufacturing sector has had a certain fall but which is not attributable to demonetisation,” the Minister said.
