Centre to borrow Rs 8.88 lakh crore via bonds in first half of 2023-24

The Centre will borrow a record Rs 15.43 lakh crore in 2023-24.

The Centre will borrow Rs 8.88 lakh crore via the issuance of government securities in the first half of 2023-24.

The Budget for 2023-24 had pegged the Centre's full-year gross borrowing estimate at a record Rs 15.43 lakh crore.

At Rs 8.88 lakh crore, the scheduled first-half borrowing of the central government amounts to 57.6 percent of the full-year estimate, the finance ministry said in a statement on March 29.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) manages the borrowing programme on behalf of the government by issuing bonds via auctions every Friday.

In April-September, the size of the weekly government bond auctions will range from Rs 31,000 crore to Rs 39,000 crore.

The breakdown of the securities that will be issued is as follows:

* 6.31 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 3 years

* 11.71 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 5 years

* 10.25 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 7 years

* 20.5 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 10 years

* 17.57 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 14 years

* 16.1 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 30 years

* 17.57 percent of the borrowing will be via bonds maturing in 40 years

"The Government will continue to carry out switch operations to smoothen the redemption profile," the finance ministry said.

It added that the issuance of sovereign Green Bonds will be announced in the second half of 2023-24. Moneycontrol had reported the same back on February 1.

In addition to the bonds, the Centre will also issue Treasury bills worth Rs 4.16 lakh crore in the first quarter of 2023-24.

To tide over any temporary mismatches in the government's receipts and expenses, the RBI has fixed the Centre's Ways and Means Advances limit at Rs 1.5 lakh crore for April-September.

"The Reserve Bank of India may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilises 75 percent of the WMA limit," the central bank said in a separate statement.