In a large country, a government that is trying to control too much is likely to get bogged down by the sheer volume, and end up being completely ineffective.
What does a society require a government to do? Provide electricity and other services in an inefficient manner, control markets by various subsidies and taxes, and end up making them inefficient, breed corruption?
Or, how about this:
1. The government cannot be the primary or majority employer in the economy.
2. The task of the Government is to provide the right environment for the Industry and businesses to flourish. Once they do, (and government is out of doing them in an inefficient manner), the national exchequer shall have more revenues. (E.g. instead of running state electricity companies where theft and corruption flourish, and the companies cost the taxpayers Billions of Rupees every year, let private sector supply electricity, and earn tax money from its revenues)
3. In a competitive business environment, more people should get employment than today. However, there is no doubt that some people shall be left behind.
4. The task of the government is to provide adequate, but not overwhelming, or populist, welfare to such people, who are left behind. This welfare can be in a voucher based format. (i.e. Providing the welfare should itself not breed more corruption, like it does in the case of subsidized food and kerosene)
5. Once government ministries and bureaucracy is no longer involved in taking decisions about allotment of petrol pumps, maintaining transformers, food storage facilities, loss making textile mills, and so on, they shall have enough resources and time to focus on providing the basic needs of the citizens - justice, education, security, health, good environment, food security.
All of these can be delivered more effectively via a voucher based system, rather than a subsidy based approach.
6. One way to enforce Fiscal discipline would be to make it a part of the law. (E.g. In Germany, the government is not allowed to spend more than a proportion of the GDP, unless it is an emergency). Hopefully, this should prevent short term populism that is so rife - free color TV, laptops, parks.
What does a society require a government to do? Provide electricity and other services in an inefficient manner, control markets by various subsidies and taxes, and end up making them inefficient, breed corruption?
Or, how about this:
1. The government cannot be the primary or majority employer in the economy.
2. The task of the Government is to provide the right environment for the Industry and businesses to flourish. Once they do, (and government is out of doing them in an inefficient manner), the national exchequer shall have more revenues. (E.g. instead of running state electricity companies where theft and corruption flourish, and the companies cost the taxpayers Billions of Rupees every year, let private sector supply electricity, and earn tax money from its revenues)
3. In a competitive business environment, more people should get employment than today. However, there is no doubt that some people shall be left behind.
4. The task of the government is to provide adequate, but not overwhelming, or populist, welfare to such people, who are left behind. This welfare can be in a voucher based format. (i.e. Providing the welfare should itself not breed more corruption, like it does in the case of subsidized food and kerosene)
5. Once government ministries and bureaucracy is no longer involved in taking decisions about allotment of petrol pumps, maintaining transformers, food storage facilities, loss making textile mills, and so on, they shall have enough resources and time to focus on providing the basic needs of the citizens - justice, education, security, health, good environment, food security.
All of these can be delivered more effectively via a voucher based system, rather than a subsidy based approach.
6. One way to enforce Fiscal discipline would be to make it a part of the law. (E.g. In Germany, the government is not allowed to spend more than a proportion of the GDP, unless it is an emergency). Hopefully, this should prevent short term populism that is so rife - free color TV, laptops, parks.
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