Correct Answer : 58.9%
The Centre’s fiscal deficit for the April-November period of the current fiscal year (FY2023) came in at Rs 9.78 trillion, or 58.9 per cent of the Budget Estimate (BE) of Rs 16.6 trillion, compared with Rs 6.96 trillion or 46.2 per cent for the same period last year.
The fiscal deficit widened as a percentage of full-year target year-on-year due to lower tax and non-tax revenue and much higher capital expenditure outlay.
In fact, in November, the fiscal deficit widened by Rs 2.2 trillion, the highest ever in any month this financial year.
“In April-November FY23, the fiscal deficit widened considerably, with net tax revenues reporting moderate growth of 8 per cent, amidst an 11 per cent contraction in non-tax revenues, 11 per cent rise in revenue expenditure, and high 63 per cent expansion in capex,” said Aditi Nayar, chief economist with ICRA.
Net tax revenue for the April-November period was
Rs 12.25 trillion or 63.3 per cent of the full-year target, compared with
73.5 per cent for the same period last year(2022).
Non-tax revenue came in at
73.5 per cent compared with
91.8 per cent for the same period last year, while non-debt capital receipts (primarily divestment proceeds) stood at
52.3 per cent compared with 11 per cent, primarily on the back of proceeds from LIC’s IPO earlier in the year..
Source : Business Standard
