Amid concerns over the government may miss its deficit target of 3.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) in its latest data showed that the central government’s fiscal deficit widened in the first half (H1) of current fiscal year (2018-19). Fiscal deficit was 95.3% of the Budget Estimate (BE) in the first six months (April-September) of FY19, mainly on account of slow growth in revenue collections. The deficit was at 91.3% of BE at September-end of the last financial year. The fiscal deficit target for 2018-19 is Rs 6.24 lakh crore.
The CGA said in actual terms, the fiscal deficit or gap between the total expenditure and receipts was Rs 5.94 lakh crore during April-September this fiscal. According to the data, the tax collection (net) at September-end of 2018-19 was Rs 5.82 lakh crore, or 39.4%, of BE. It was 44.2% of the BE in September-end last fiscal.
The total receipts of the government during April-September 2018 were Rs 7.09 lakh crore, or 39%, of BE, compared to 40.6% in the same period of 2017-18. The CGA data also showed that total expenditure during April-September 2018 was Rs 13.04 lakh crore or 53.4% of BE. The capital expenditure was Rs 1.62 lakh crore or 54.2% of BE.
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