Road To Growth Is Paved With Low ICOR

India’s slowing investment rate and rising incremental capital output ratio, or ICOR, have led to low economic growth.

Two recent, and epochal, events deserve our unstinted attention because they mark the end of an era and the beginning of another one. These are critical because of a common thread linking both: the investment rate of the economy.

The 12th Five-year Plan has just ended, bringing down the curtain on decades of India’s planned economic growth and development. This was the last Five-year Plan; as an alternative, the Planning Commission’s successor NITI Aayog has announced the release of a three-year “action plan”, a seven-year “strategy paper” and a 15-year “vision document”. There is one key difference between these documents and Five-year Plans: The government is free to disregard the Aayog’s recommendations.

The end of a centrally planned economic system also coincides with the formal interring of the Planning Commission, an organization central to not only India’s economic strategy but also to its federal temper through the added responsibility of allocating grants, Plan and non-Plan funds to states. The commission’s federal remit was not granted through constitutional mandate and this generated sufficient heartburn, especially among non-Congress states. However, the commission’s shuttering is also due to questions raised about the relevance of centralized planning in a globalized, market-led economy. And then there is politics. The commission was created through a government resolution which makes it easy for the Narendra Modi government to bury it.

But before the institution is shut down, it might be worthwhile to examine the 12th Plan performance, especially some of its macroeconomic targets. The 12th Plan ran between April 2012 and March 2017, with a Congress-led administration in charge till April 2014 and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government steering the Plan thereafter. Prime Minister Modi announced his intentions of abolishing the commission and ending Five-year Plans during his first Independence Day speech in 2014 but allowed the 12th Plan to formally run till its original expiry date.

The plan had set an average gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of 8% for the 2012-17 period. This growth target was not achieved in any single year by either of the two political dispensations, despite a step jump resulting from a new series introduced by the Modi government. The closest India came was in 2015-16, with 7.9% annual growth. Otherwise, the average growth for the period works out to below 7%, way lower than the average annual growth rate of 8% achieved during the 11th Plan.

A low investment rate is among the many reasons for the under-average performance. The 12th Plan envisaged an average investment rate of 34%. However, the investment rate has been declining every year, starting with 33.4% during the first year of the Plan; the Central Statistical Office’s second advance estimates for 2016-17 show gross fixed capital formation at 26.9% of GDP, the lowest in more than a decade. What’s worse, investments have not been forthcoming from either the private sector (which has historically contributed the bulk of investment as a percentage of GDP) or the government sector which should ideally be investing when private investment dries up.

In a recent newspaper article, former Reserve Bank of India governor C. Rangarajan has also pointed to low productivity of capital, captured through incremental capital output ratio, or Icor, which measures how many additional units of capital are necessary to produce one additional unit of output. India’s slowing investment rate and rising Icor have led to low economic growth.

Discussing Icor might sound anachronistic, especially since the service sector accounts for 55% of India’s GDP where the relation between capital invested and output is still unclear. In addition, supply-side thrusts (such as increased government consumption expenditure) can lead to higher GDP growth despite a depressed investment climate, which can then send garbled messages about improved capital productivity. Ordinarily, a falling ICOR should be accompanied by palpable technological improvements and skill enhancements, leading to an all-round increase in productivity and efficiency.

Discussions on capital productivity seem to be back in fashion because high ICOR in recent times (higher than six during 2013-16) have been complemented by sluggish economic growth, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets and burgeoning bad debts in the financial sector. These factors have dragged down the economy’s growth impulses. In all discussions on efficiency and factor productivity, it is usually Indian labour that has to bear the cross. But this time the focus is squarely on capital productivity.

Obsessing with high ICOR becomes necessary when resolution of non-performing assets (NPAs) tops the public policy agenda. Most of the reasons behind high Icor in India are similar to those found elsewhere in the world, but one unique Indian feature stands out: gold-plating, or padded-up project costs. This not only suppresses capital productivity but also distorts the viability of many projects. With institutions and regulators orchestrating Operation NPA Clean-Up in mission mode—for example, the newly-instituted Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India is already grappling with 35 transactions—it is imperative that all resolution mechanisms incorporate enough measures to deter future projects from gold-plating costs and getting away with it.

The above article was published in Mint newspaper and can also be read here

Budget And Moral Imperatives

Increasing public investment and employment remains a moral imperative for finance minister Arun Jaitley

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley is probably caught in a cleft stick. With demonetisation throwing a spanner in the works, his fourth budget will understandably try to achieve a balance between reviving economic growth and maintaining fiscal stability. These are two seemingly conflicting goals, with economists sharply split on both sides of the divide. The fiscal responsibility and budget management committee is also believed to have drawn some red lines. But Jaitley may not have much of a choice.

There are two ways to revive growth: either through consumption or through investment. Export-led growth could have been another possibility but India’s persisting trade deficit and the world economy’s delayed recovery makes it a non-starter. With demonetisation squeezing out demand, there could be attempts to stimulate consumption through some restructuring in direct taxes and some realignment of indirect tax rates (especially excise) on goods, in line with the proposed goods and services tax slabs. The clamour for fiscal rectitude, especially the threat perception posed by credit rating agencies, might stay Jaitley’s hand from over-stretching.

The other alternative is government’s capital expenditure, because demand compression is also likely to suck out the private sector’s desire to invest. However, there are valid concerns over the government’s ability to execute projects efficiently and within budgeted costs. Road minister Nitin Gadkari’s recent admission of highway construction falling short of desired targets reflects both private sector lassitude in taking up infrastructure projects and the government’s less-than-stellar record in project execution.

File photo of finance minister Arun Jaitley; photo courtesy: Reuters

At a pre-budget seminar in Mumbai, former Reserve Bank of India governor C. Rangarajan said public investment amounts to roughly 7% of gross domestic product (GDP), with the Centre and the states (collectively) accounting for 1.6% of GDP each and public sector units contributing the balance 3.8%. If quality of execution is a concern, there’s a proposal to re-route part of the Centre’s public investment to public-sector units (PSUs) as equity which, leveraged with bank loans, can be used for greater impact. It’s not the best, or ideal, solution, but it sounds workable.

A section of economists and demonetisation supporters claim that penal taxes collected through the two-tranche income-disclosure scheme are likely to provide Jaitley with elbow room to stretch his capex budget without upsetting fiscal targets. And though that is serendipitous (Rs15,000 crore is expected from just the first tranche), the question arises whether Jaitley would allocate a higher capex outlay even in its absence.

Interestingly, increased capital expenditure meets three objectives simultaneously: reviving economic growth, visible progress towards meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementing some of the campaign promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2014 general election.

India is a signatory to the UN’s SDGs, which succeeded the Millennium Development Goals. The SDGs cover 17 broad goals (incorporating 169 related targets) to be achieved by 2030. The SDGs have been framed with the singular purpose of achieving three overarching objectives: ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all. The Planning Commission’s successor, NITI Aayog, has been entrusted with mapping the targets with different ministries, coordinating with them and helping the government meet the targets.

Goal 9 of the SDGs says: “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.” More importantly, this is directly related to Goal 8: “Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.” This goes directly to the heart of the debate between fiscal hawks and those wanting the government to expand public investment for kick-starting growth; it also provides a compelling reason for the government to increase outlays for public expenditure.

Employment growth remains stagnant across the world. A joint study (goo.gl/ZvLcsf) by the International Labour Organization, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development found employment elasticity (the direct relationship between employment growth and economic growth) in most G20 countries is low, giving credence to claims of “jobless growth”. India’s employment elasticity is said to be close to zero. A 2014 working paper by RBI staffers (goo.gl/U09o8b) has also pointed out how employment elasticity has declined in the post-reforms era, especially in the manufacturing sector.

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) 2014 campaign manifesto promised to create new employment opportunities: “A strong manufacturing sector will not only bridge the demand-supply gap leading to price stabilization, but also create millions of jobs and increase incomes for the working class.” There were also commitments to create jobs in the small-scale sector, agriculture and agri-related industries. Unfortunately, the narrative in many states with high unemployment rates has changed thereafter.

So far, official data and anecdotes both indicate demonetisation-induced livelihood stress in urban and rural areas. People have lost jobs across manufacturing, service and agricultural occupations. Whether BJP wins or loses the approaching state assembly elections, increasing public investment and employment remains a moral imperative.

The above article was published in Mint newspaper on January 25, 2017. It can also be read here

Too Many Wise Men?

How many men does it take to run the economy? Numerous, going by the number of experts voicing their opinion in Delhi.

The multiple lines of economic command have been visible for some time now. If there were ever any doubts, one had to only tune into the babble of eco-speak emanating from Delhi soon after the wholesale price index numbers for February were announced. There was understandable panic because the inflation rate was nudging the treacherous double-digit mark. But, going by the comments made, it would seem that there were many more people out there in Delhi who knew what the Reserve Bank should be doing and when it should be timing its next action. And, then came the unexpected RBI rate hike to quell some of the inflationary flames. But, instead of diminishing, the decibel level actually went up by a few notches with the experts now holding forth that RBI needed to implement another rate hike.

But, what has been described above is only a symptom of a larger trend in economic policy management. Over the past few years, the number of ecocrats has multiplied and with it have the number the divergent views and conflicting opinions. All this is, of course, great grist for the electronic media.

Here’s a look at the chief policy manager and the various people in the economic management team.

· Prime minister Manmohan Singh: An established economist with pucca Oxbridge cred. Gained respect worldwide for having pulled the Indian economy back from the brink of bankruptcy and then steering it out of the stifling, controlled regime to a new liberal and competitive framework.
· C Rangarajan: Another well regarded economist. The former RBI governor is currently the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Committee. Obviously, knows his monetary onions well and makes them public as well.
· Montek Singh Ahluwalia: Another Oxbridge-World Bank alum who gained fame as an economic advisor during Rajiv Gandhi’s time. Was Chief Economic Advisor in finance ministry when Manmohan Singh was finance minister. Is currently Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. A favourite with the sound-bite hunters on all topics – from the state of the monsoons to the interest rate structure.
· Kaushik Basu: A vociferous champion of free economy, this former don – he taught at Delhi School of Economics and Cornell University – has been recently appointed as Chief Economic Advisor to the finance minister. He is the hunting pack's new quarry.
· Pronab Sen: Chief Statistician, Sen is currently trying to overhaul the way data is collected, tossed and diced, and then the manner in which the decision-making apparatus interprets it. He has also been vocal with his views on inflation and interest rates.
· Raghuram Rajan: Occupant of tenured chair at University of Chicago and a former Chief Economist at IMF, this man has been quietly advising the PM on a number of issues, including financial sector reforms. The super regulator proposed in Budget 2010 – which is expected to supercede all the other financial sector regulators in the country, such as RBI, SEBI, IRDA -- was suggested by the panel headed by him.
· Pranab Mukherjee: The man who, as finance minister, is in the thick of it but does not speak much at all, except to voice the government’s overall concern from time to time over inflation, interest rates and their impact on credit growth and the general well-being in the economy.
· D Subbarao: Governor at RBI, who played an impressive role in launching the fire-fighting operations in close coordination with the fiscal authorities soon after Lehman Brothers went belly up. He is also trying to improve some of RBI’s traditional ways (such as, communication), but unfortunately that is seen as a weakness and he is considered fair game by everyone in Delhi. So, almost every ecocrat has a word of advice for him.

There is nothing wrong in having such a large and high-calibre team of economists in charge of policy management. But, policy direction starts sounding out of whack when all of them speak in different and contradictory tongues.