Govt taking steps to carefully monitor fiscal deficit: Sitharaman

09 Feb 2021 Evaluate

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is taking steps to carefully monitor the fiscal deficit, which is estimated at 9.5 percent of the Gross domestic product (GDP) for the current financial year. She said the 'mool mantra' now is that fiscal deficit is something that one cannot escape, but at the same time, it needs to be carefully tackled.

Emphasising that the government has made the Union Budget transparent, Sitharaman said there was nothing under wraps or swept under the carpet. She also said whatever the government is borrowing or spending is open for everyone to see and the government has spent big on those areas that provide a big multiplier effect.

India has exceeded its fiscal deficit target of 3.5 percent in the current fiscal by a wide margin, due to higher spending to stimulate the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The fiscal deficit -- the excess of government expenditure over its revenues -- has been pegged at 9.5 percent of the GDP in the current fiscal ending March 31, as per the revised estimate. For the next fiscal, the deficit has been pegged at 6.8 percent of GDP, which will be further lowered to 4.5 percent by fiscal 2025-26.

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