<h1>Former Finance Minister Criticizes 2017-18 Union Budget, Calls for Indirect Tax Cuts to Boost Economy Amid Job Concerns.</h1> A former finance minister criticized the Union Budget for 2017-18 as lacking direction, urging the government to cut indirect taxes to stimulate the economy. He argued that demonetization harmed GDP growth and warned of potential unrest due to job shortages. He suggested that reducing indirect taxes by 4-8% could boost consumption and production, despite potential revenue losses. He emphasized that such a measure could have been implemented before the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, providing a temporary economic boost. Despite the budget already being presented, he believes it is not too late to implement these changes.