As reported on July 9, 2019, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has come out with its report on a survey done to audit the preparedness activities of 17 Central and 7 State ministries for the implementation of SDGs, which relate to a set of 17 objectives including improving property, hunger, and health by 2030, and 169 associated targets, part of a UNGA resolution, taken in 2015, namely, Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Union Ministries include NITI Aayog, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, whereas the states are Assam, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
Key Highlights of the Report
(i) Government funding on health care is ‘a long way’ before it can meet the development targets and the Central allocation for health for 2019–20 is far short for target.
(ii) The health standing as a percentage of total state health expenditure ranged from 3.29 per cent to 5.32 per cent, which needs considerable augmentation.
(iii) Public health expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been increasing since 2015–16 but remained within a narrow band (1.02–1.28 per cent) of GDP.
(iv) Projecting financial resources for achieving the targets by 2030 is a challenging task. However, the Ministry of Finance and state governments are yet to integrate SDG-related financial resources in national budgeting for implementing SDGs.
(v) The problems went beyond allocation of funds as the data for certain health indicators are not regularly or uniformly available.
(vi) A roadmap is yet to be aligned with defined milestones for SDG targets to be achieved in the years 2020, 2025, and 2030.
(vii) A key action plan that the NITI Aayog was supposed to prepare is still not complete.
(viii) States are yet to prepare policy documents. Mapping of goals/targets undertaken by NITI Aayog and selected states is still ongoing. States may need to strengthen institutional arrangements by identifying support departments and defining roles and responsibilities.
(ix) Use of direct benefit transfer (DBT) should be expanded and strengthened to improve efficiency in usage of financial resources.
(x) Mapping in respect of health goals is not comprehensive in selected states.
Recommendations of CAG
The report tabled by the CAG consists of the following recommendations:
(i) The initiatives for enhancing public awareness and sensitisation about SDGs must be stepped up so that the process of implementation becomes participatory and inclusive.
(ii) A comprehensive charter and action plan with well-defined milestones for implementing SDGs should be formulated after due consultations and finalisation of the vision document should be expedited.
(iii) NITI Aayog, in association with the Ministry of Finance, must make an assessment of requirement and availability of financial resources for implementing SDGs for different time frames.
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