Fiscal deficit rises to 114.8% of the full year target at the end of November
The tax receipts for the April-November 2018 period were Rs 8,96,583 crore, while the expenditure was Rs 16,13,208 crore.
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India’s fiscal deficit stood at 114.8% of the budgeted target at the end of November, government data showed on Thursday. Fiscal deficit occurs when a government spends more than the revenue it earns.
The tax receipts for the April-November 2018 period were Rs 8,96,583 crore, while the expenditure was Rs 16,13,208 crore, the Ministry of Finance said. This gives a fiscal deficit of Rs 7,16,625 crore, which is 14.8% above the targeted deficit for the entire 2018-’19 financial year.
The ministry also said that it has transferred Rs 4,31,963 crore to the state governments as devolution of share of taxes from April to November 2018. This is Rs 46,677 crore higher than the corresponding period last year.
The government had said it would cut the fiscal deficit to 3.3% of Gross Domestic Product in the 2018-’19 financial year, compared to the 3.53% in 2017-’18. However, it now appears that the government will miss this target, Reuters reported.
The fiscal deficit is also higher compared to the corresponding period last year. In November 2017, the fiscal deficit stood at 112% of the budgeted target, PTI reported. To curtail the fiscal deficit, the Centre will have to announce spending cuts in the remainder of the financial year.
The Government of India has received Rs. 8,96,583 crore (49.32% of corresponding BE 18-19 of Total Receipts) up to November, 2018 comprising Rs. 7,31,669 crore Tax Revenue (Net to Centre), Rs. 1,38,637 crore of Non-Tax Revenue and Rs. 26,277 crore of Non-Debt Capital Receipts.
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) December 27, 2018
Total Expenditure incurred by the Government of India is Rs. 16,13,208 crore (66.06% of corresponding BE 18-19), out of which Rs.14,21,778 crore is on Revenue Account and Rs. 1,91,430 crore is on Capital Account.
— Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) December 27, 2018