Higher revenue collection pulls fiscal deficit lower to 4.89% in FY13

31 May 2013 Evaluate

In a big sigh of relief to the country’s policymakers, India’s fiscal deficit for FY13 came at 4.89% of GDP, which is lower than the budget estimate of 5.2%. The deficit has been contained due to higher non-tax revenue and savings of non-planned expenditure.

The fiscal deficit occurs when a government's total expenditures exceed the revenue that it generates. The government had budgeted revenue realization for FY13 fiscal at Rs 10.38 lakh crore. However, there was some slippage on the direct tax front, while the indirect tax mop up has exceeded the revised estimates. The direct tax collection was estimated at over Rs 5.65 lakh crore and Rs 4.69 lakh crore from indirect taxes. Meanwhile, government’s total expenditure was pegged at Rs 14.30 lakh crore.

The government is committed to check the fiscal deficit and in budget has proposed to lower fiscal deficit to 4.8% of GDP in FY14 and reduce it gradually to 3% by FY17. Earlier, the finance minister had said that fiscal deficit target is a red line that would never be breached  and had also exuded confidence that the revenue target for 2013-14 financial year would be achieved as the GDP growth is likely to be over 6%.

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