Govt can meet fiscal deficit target of 5.3%: Rangarajan
Indicating better economic outlook in the second half, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan expressed optimism that the government would be able to meet the fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent for the current fiscal.
December 17, 2012 / 19:50 IST
Indicating better economic outlook in the second half, Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council Chairman C Rangarajan expressed optimism that the government would be able to meet the fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent for the current fiscal. "I think fiscal deficit will be around 5.3 per cent of GDP as indicated by the Finance Minister, " he said on the sidelines of Delhi Economics Conclave.
Although the Government had pegged fiscal deficit for the current financial year at 5.1 per cent of the GDP in the budget, it has revised the target to 5.3 per cent in view of subdued revenue collection and rising fuel and food subsidy bills. "I think second half will be better than the first half. We think that the growth rate in the current fiscal will be between 5.5 and 6 per cent," he said.The former RBI Governor also expressed hope that there would be further improvement in growth during the next fiscal. Growth in the first half of 2012-13 has fallen to 5.4 per cent, from 7.3 per cent in the same period last fiscal. For the entire 2011-12 fiscal, the growth had declined to nine-year low of 6.5 per cent. The Reserve Bank, meanwhile, expects growth at 5.8 per cent in the current fiscal.Rangarajan said "the average per capita GDP today is only USD 1,600. If we grow at 8-9 per cent, by 2025 we will reach somewhere around USD 10,500. It is only then when India will graduate from a low income country to middle income country". Therefore, he said, it is important for India to grow at a much faster rate.Also Read:Meeting fiscal deficit target will be 'tough', says RajanGovt lowers growth forecast, says on track for deficit Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
