Maintaining the fiscal deficit at 4.6% of the GDP is a serious challenge: FM

13 Dec 2011 Evaluate

The Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that maintaining the fiscal deficit at 4.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is a serious challenge. The task to meet the fiscal deficit target in current financial year is difficult because of the unfavorable economic environment in domestic and global economy, expected decline in revenue collections because of slowdown in industrial production, economic activities and increasing subsidy bill.

Finance minister, on introducing the Appropriation Bill to seek Rajya Sabha's approval for raising the government expenditure by an additional Rs 56,848.46 crore, said to maintain the fiscal deficit, as per the target is a serious challenge.

In this year’s Budget, the government has estimated the fiscal deficit at Rs 4,12,817 crore or 4.6% of the GDP. However, by the first half of the current financial year, the fiscal deficit crossed Rs 2.8 lakh crore or 68% of the Budget Estimate (BE).

On the additional market borrowing in the second half of 2011-12, finance minister said, 'We had to go for (additional borrowing) to manage the cash flow but nonetheless it will have a stress and it will have its effect in the course of the year if the corrective steps are not taken.' In the monsoon session, the Parliament has approved Rs 9,016 crore net cash outgo as first batch of Supplementary Demand. 

Finance Minister said that ‘after the passage of almost eight months in the current fiscal year, there has been some pressing unavoidable demands’. He said that the fiscal deficit is substantially high. However, one need not necessarily be worried over it because the five years’ moving average varies from 54-55%.



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