New Delhi: The government has announced the appointment of four new members to the Sixteenth Finance Commission (SFC), responsible for advising on the distribution of federal taxes among states.
The recent government order revealed the names of the three full-time members of the 16th Finance Commission: Ajay Narayan Jha, former Expenditure Secretary; Annie George Mathew, former Department of Expenditure official; and Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, executive director of Artha Global, a policy consultancy firm. Additionally, Soumya Kanti Ghosh, the Group Chief Economic Adviser at the State Bank of India, has been appointed as a part-time member.
The Finance Commission constituted every five years, plays a vital role in recommending tax-sharing formulas between the central and state governments, along with providing insights on public finances.
Earlier, economist Arvind Panagariya was appointed as the chair of the new Finance Commission by the government.
The commission is expected to submit its report by October 31, 2025, covering a five-year period from April 1, 2026.
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed three full-time members and one part-time member to the 16th Finance Commission. The full-time members include Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, and Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, while Soumya Kanti Ghosh will serve as a part-time member.
Former expenditure secretary and member of the 15th Finance Commission, A N Jha, former special secretary of the department of expenditure Annie George Mathew, State Bank of India's group chief economic advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh, and executive director of Artha Global Niranjan Rajadhyaksha have been appointed as full-time members of the SFC, the government said in a gazetted notification late on Tuesday.
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