In a big relief, the country’s Fiscal Deficit, the difference between total revenue and expenditure, has improved in the first month of the current financial year 2018-19, on the back of higher revenue and lower expenditure. As per the latest data released by the controller-general of accounts (CGA), April’s fiscal deficit was at 24.3 per cent of the budget estimates, as against 37.6 per cent for the same period of the last fiscal year.
The report further showed that the revenue receipts received during April 2018 to the government was worth Rs 71,450 crore (3.93 per cent of corresponding budget estimates (BE) for 2018-19 for total receipts). Out of this amount, Rs 57,533 crore from tax revenue, while Rs 13,124 crore from non-tax Revenue and Rs 793 crore of non debt capital receipts. Non Debt Capital Receipts consists of Recovery of Loans (Rs 359 crore) and PSU disinvestment (Rs 434 crore).
Further, the government’s spending stood at Rs 2,23,417 crore (9.15 per cent of corresponding BE 2018-19) in the first month of the current financial year. Out of this, over Rs 1.76 lakh crore is on Revenue Account and Rs 46,703 crore is on Capital Account.