The government will borrow Rs 3.72 lakh crore from the market during April-September period of FY2018, which represents 64 percent of the borrowing target for full financial year. The borrowing target will be slightly higher than other years as the finance ministry and the RBI expects other ministries to start spending from the beginning of the financial year as well as redemption pressure. In order to finance the fiscal deficit of 3.2 per cent of the GDP for 2017-18, the Budget had pegged gross borrowing at Rs 5.8 lakh crore and net borrowing at Rs 4.25 lakh crore.
Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das has said that generally every year they borrow 60-62 percent in the first half of the year and this year the borrowing target is slightly higher at 64 per cent. He noted that total redemptions of Rs 1.57 lakh crore are due next year of which 90 per cent will be redeemed in the first half. He also explained that budget has been passed and money will be available fully from the beginning of the year and considering the revenue inflows and other receipts, the group has decided that of total gross borrowing, 64 per cent is Rs 3.72 lakh crore.
Das further said that the focus in planning the open market borrowing is to extend the maturity profile as well as to undertake it in the most non-disruptive manner. He also said that at the moment the maturity profile of all GSecs is about 10.5 years, and the next year’s GSecs which are going to be auctioned will have a maturity profile of 14.7 years. Meanwhile, the ministry and RBI have decided to extend the maturity profile of government securities beginning next year.
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