THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The seventh Finance Commission chairperson K N Harilal has said that Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) should find ways to generate revenue including toll collection, considering the present scenario. According to him, the new model should continue till KIIFB gets a favourable court order. He was speaking at the press meet announcing the Kerala Economic Conference 2025 to be held at Government Women’s College, Thiruvananthapuram, from February 14 to 16.
Recently Finance Minister K N Balagopal said that the government is working on revenue generating models for KIIFB which included the development of IT parks to sustain itself. He also said that a proposal to impose toll on roads funded by KIIFB was also discussed.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Kerala Economic Conference 2025 to discuss Kerala’s development model and its challenges, by Kerala Economic Association (KEA).
Eminent economists, policy makers, researchers, and industry leaders from across the country will participate in the three-day event. Prestigious institutions such as the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation and the Centre for Development Studies will also be part of the conference.
The conference aims to provide a platform for students, teachers, researchers, and industrialists to discuss the growth of Kerala’s regional economy. Kerala’s unique development model, known for its social progress and welfare policies, has earned international recognition.
The sustainability and continuity of this model will be central themes of the discussions, said Harilal who is also the president of KEA.
Plenary sessions will be held in honour of renowned economists, including Prof K N Raj, Prof M Kunhaman, Prof K K Subramanian, and Prof K K George. A panel discussion titled “Prospects and Challenges of Kerala’s Economy” will feature Finance Minister K N Balagopal, former finance minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac, and economist C P John, among others, on February 16.