2 in 3 Indians believe Budget 2022 will have positive impact on economy: Survey

Two in three Indians are of the belief that Budget 2022 will have a positive impact on the economy, according to the latest survey by LocalCircles.

Even though many citizens hoped for some relief in wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made only a few changes to the personal income tax structure, however, none of them provided any relief.

The survey further showed that 24 per cent of citizens are elated with the Budget announcements and see several benefits of it.

Also Read: Budget 2022 may force RBI to delay policy normalisation, says HSBC's Pranjul Bhandari

Meanwhile, 42 per cent believe the Budget will propel progress in at least one area, whereas 29 per cent of citizens don't see any impact of it. The survey received over 40,000 responses from citizens dwelling in 342 districts of India.

FM Sitharaman presented the Budget 2022 in Parliament on February 1 wherein she announced a slew of measures for many sectors. 

56% of the citizens rate the budget below expectations while 42% rate it meeting or exceeding expectations, as per the survey.

Also Read: Budget 2022: What will its impact on the economy be?

The Budget 2022 allocated Rs 86,200.65 crore for the health sector. The spending on "medical and public health" has been lowered from Rs 74,820 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 41,011 crore in 2022-23. Meanwhile, 48 per cent of citizens, as per the survey, believe the Budget 2022 allocation to health is not enough to handle the COVID-19 pandemic whereas 40 per cent believe it is.

Among the slew of announcements, the government's decision to tax sales of digital assets has attracted a lot of attention. As per the survey, 58 per cent of citizens back the launch of RBI's digital currency whereas 54 per cent support taxation of digital assets at 30 per cent.