Kolkata, October 2 (Daily Kiran) : The NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the West Bengal government and technical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), hosted a national workshop on sustainable development goal (SDG) budgeting in Kolkata. This event, held on October 2, aimed to align state planning and budgeting processes with SDGs and institutionalize SDG budget tagging at the state level.
During the workshop, West Bengal’s Finance Minister, Swapan Dasgupta, emphasized that SDG budget tagging helps establish a clear relationship between development goals, set targets, budget allocations, and the agencies responsible for expenditures. This clarity aids in understanding how government spending supports developmental priorities.
R. Balasubramaniam, a member of NITI Aayog, remarked that mapping state expenditures to SDGs is a crucial step. It ensures that public spending is directed toward areas essential for inclusive and sustainable development.
The discussion also covered a guide on linking state budgets to SDGs, developed collaboratively by NITI Aayog, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), and UNDP. This guide provides a practical framework for states to integrate sustainable development goals into their budgeting processes.
Key topics included identifying expenditures for SDG tagging, determining appropriate levels of tagging, and linking expenditures to relevant accounting titles and SDG targets. Participants also explored how to assess values through NITI Aayog’s planning and SDG mapping system.
The workshop saw participation from representatives of 32 states and union territories, along with officials from NITI Aayog, CAG, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), and various government institutions.
Additionally, representatives from the UNDP, the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s office, development partner organizations, industry groups, and the private sector were involved. A special session highlighted the private sector’s role in achieving SDGs through policy frameworks, innovative financing, and responsible business practices.
NITI Aayog reaffirmed its commitment to assist states and union territories in effectively incorporating sustainable development goals into their planning, budgeting, and administrative processes.
Leave a Comment