FM Sitharaman pitches for empowering people by increasing digital access

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday underlined the need for going beyond GDP numbers and empowering people by improving digital connectivity in developing nations.

Addressing G7 seminar on economic policies for welfare, in Niigata, Japan, she stressed that technology improves access for the poor to markets and basic services and highlighted that access to digital connectivity has empowered people and there is a need to discuss ways to measure empowerment going beyond GDP indicators.

She underlined the dilemmas faced by Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) between climate security and growth as they manage overlapping crises and socio-economic transformation.

"Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman emphasised on the importance of #SustainableGrowth and environment and the need for balancing the two in the short and long run," a finance ministry tweet said.

"The Union Finance Minister shared India's focus on #technology #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #DPI #GreenHydrogen as a foundation for #sustainable and #InclusiveGrowth and as an example of innovative #PolicyToolkits by #EMDEs," another tweet said.

Sitharaman is on a two-day visit (May 11-12) to Japan to attend G7 meeting of the finance ministers and central bank governors.