CAD to be less than $40 billion in current financial year: Finance Minister

10 Mar 2014 Evaluate

Buoyant over the better than expected current account deficit data for Q3 FY14, Finance Minister P Chidambaram has asserted that India’s CAD will be contained at less than $40 billion this fiscal year, well below the record level at $87.8 billion in 2012-13.

CAD for the third quarter of the current financial year narrowed sharply to $4.2 billion (0.9% of GDP) as compared to $5.2 billion (1.2% of GDP) in Q2 FY14 mainly driven by a sharp decline in the trade deficit as merchandise exports picked up and imports moderated, particularly gold imports. During the April-December FY14, CAD stands at $31.1 billion (2.3% of GDP) versus $69.8 billion (5.2% of GDP) reported in the same period of previous fiscal year.

Finance Minister also expressed confidence to contain the fiscal deficit at the revised fiscal deficit target of 4.6% of GDP during 2013-14. In the previous fiscal, country’s fiscal deficit widened to 4.9% of GDP. Referring to the economic growth, Chidambaram stressed that the domestic economy is presently more stable compared to 18 months ago and economy’s strength is reflected through the strengthening of the rupee and increasing foreign investment. Indian economy’s growth had slowed to a decade low at 4.5 percent in FY13.

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