Fiscal deficit for April-Oct touches Rs 7.2 trillion, exceeds FY20 target

This was 102.4% of the full-year target, compared with 103.9% for the same period last year

The Centre’s fiscal deficit for the April-October period had touched Rs 7.2 trillion, exceeding the 2019-20 (FY20) budgeted target of Rs 7.04 trillion, official data showed on Friday. This was 102.4 per cent of the full-year target, compared with 103.9 per cent for the same period last year (2018-19 or FY19).

A boost in non-tax revenue, keeping revenue and capital expenditure at the same level as last year, had helped control the deficit.

Also, with the July-September gross domestic product data released on Friday, it can now be calculated that for the first half of 2019-20 (April-September), fiscal deficit as