India’s case is “quite impressive” given the country’s “large size”, said Paolo Mauro, deputy director of the tax affairs department, answering a question about its successful implementation by the government.
Mauro was speaking at a press conference at the 2022 IMF and World Bank Group Annual Meeting in Washington.
ET Office“If I look at the case of India, it’s actually quite impressive. In fact, just because of the size of the country, it’s a logistical marvel to see how these programs that seek to help people with low income to reach literally hundreds of millions of people,” Mauro said.These programs specifically target women, the elderly and farmers, he added.
“Maybe the interesting part is that in these examples there is a lot of technological innovation. In the case of India, one thing that stands out is the use of the unique identification system, the Aadhaar” , he added.
Mauro said that even in other countries there is an increased use of sending money through mobile banking to people in the low income group who own a mobile phone. “So to be somewhat innovative in identifying people, in processing their requests for transfers through digital means, in deploying funds through, again, mobile banking. That’s something countries can learn from each other. We’re also trying here to be a bit of a gathering place where people can compare those kinds of experiences,” he said.
Vitor Gaspar, director of the Fiscal Affairs Department, said the IMF was working with India “in this context, as one of the most inspiring examples of the application of technology to solve very complex problems of targeting helping those who need it most.”
