Former IITan, IRS officer and Duke University professor appointed as Punjab Govt’s advisor; granted Secretary Rank
Kanwar Inder singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ October 11,2024
Punjab government has appointed Sebastian James , Professor of Public Policy, Duke University as Advisor (Fiscal Affairs), in the department of finance , govt of Punjab to advise the government regarding financial resource mobilization, reviewing capital and revenue expenditure and its rationalization , augmentation of state’s finances and restructuring of fiscal debt.
Sebastian S. James is Ph.D., Harvard University (2007), M.P.A., Harvard University (2004), B.S., Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (India) (1993). Sebastian S. James is Professor of the Practice of Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy. Previously, he was Senior Economist at the World Bank where he was for over fifteen years. At the World Bank, he has advised several countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe on the design of their tax policy and tax administration with an emphasis on economic growth and fiscal adequacy. He has also worked in cross-cutting areas covering the role of Tax Policy on Investment Policy, Inequality and Climate Change and his research work on Tax Incentives is influential. Prior to the World Bank he was with the Indian Revenue Service and held senior positions in the India’s Tax Administration and Tax Policy between 1996 and 2002.
During this period he worked as Under Secretary (Tax Policy), Deputy Commissioner of Tax (Indian Revenue Service). Under Secretary in the Tax Policy Unit of the Ministry of Finance and supported the Government of India with all aspects of tax reform (designing new tax laws, tax forecasting, etc.). Prior to that, was a tax official with the Indian Revenue Service with the responsibility of tax collection and tax assessment.
In 2003, he completed the International Tax Program from Harvard Law School and subsequently completed his Masters in Public Administration in 2004 and PhD from Harvard University in 2007 with his research focusing on Tax Policy and Tax Administration in developing countries.
Former IITan, IRS officer and Duke University professor appointed as Punjab Govt’s advisor; granted Secretary Rank. He will be working on honorary basis.
