Budget must turbo-charge economy: Narayana Murthy

BANGALORE, INDIA: The union budget for fiscal 2012-13 should "turbo-charge" the economy by making things easier for businesses to grow, create more jobs and attract more foreign direct investment, Infosys Ltd chairman emeritus N.R. Narayana Murthy said on Monday.

"The budget should turbo-charge the economy and make things easier for businesses to grow, enable job creation and ease norms for more FDI. It should also make it easier to build infrastructure for higher education," Murthy told reporters on the margins of an education event.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to present the budget for next fiscal in the Lok Sabha on  March 16.

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"The budget should do whatever is needed to accelerate progress in basic and higher education, healthcare, food for all, nutrition and shelter for all," Murthy said after presiding over the opening of the University of Tokyo's India office in the city.

Urging the government to speed up the entry of foreign universities in the country and setting up of the national science and engineering board, Murthy said decisions on these matters should be taken with a sense of alacrity because education is one of the most critical infrastructures in the country.

"The government should take quick decision on these issues. Once that is done, we can get to the next step. We cannot afford to further delay decisions on critical needs such as affordable higher education, healthcare, food and basic infrastructure to spur the economy," Murthy said.