<h1>Finance Minister Discusses Pre-Budget Strategies: Focus on Fiscal Consolidation, GST, MSME Support, and Youth Skill Development.</h1> The Union Finance Minister held a pre-budget consultation with industry and trade representatives, emphasizing the need for a directional thrust to harness industry enthusiasm amid challenging economic conditions. Key suggestions included fiscal consolidation, inflation control, GST implementation, and deferring GARR. Participants urged policy credibility, decision continuity, and legislative clarity. Additional proposals covered tax law transparency, MAT exemptions, subsidy use, bank recapitalization, tourism tax abolition, and MSME support. Other recommendations involved promoting women enterprises, skill development for youth, investment incentives, export tax exemptions, and expanding priority sector lending. Various industry leaders participated in the discussion.