<span style="color: #222222;">Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman today met industry representatives, trade bodies, investment bankers and farmers' organizations in Mumbai. The Minister interacted with them on various themes and provisions in the Union Budget 2020-21, presented in Parliament on 1st of February.<br />''</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">During the interaction, Finance Minister said, Budget-2020 is very pragmatic and forward-looking. She said, it is perhaps for the first time that senior officials of the Finance Ministry are going around to explain the provisions of Budget and to dispel doubts people may have. She added that unlike remedies provided in earlier times, the steps the government has taken are aimed at spending responsibly to build capital assets and invest in infrastructure.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Finance Minister further said, rural economy has been given a specific focus and stimulus through the 16 action points in the Budget. She added disinvestment is being done for greater transparency, disciplining of firms and for strategic reasons.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Ms Sitharaman said, this budget sets a road map for the next five years, keeping macro-economic fundamentals in mind adding the government made sure the demand for increasing consumption and investment in long-term asset building is taken up investment by government in infrastructure will stimulate the necessary demand which will also lead to creation of long-term assets.</span><br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The Minister said, besides stimulating rural economy, Budget 2020 lays a clear emphasis on commerce and industry, through measures such as staggering tax burden on startups. She added in spite of invoking the escape clause, the fiscal deficit target has been set at 3.8 per cent for this year, and we have committed to a clear discipline of bringing it down to 3.5 per cent next year.</span><br />