Govt meets its interim budget fiscal deficit target of 3.4% for 2018-19

The fiscal deficit for 2018-19 came in at 3.39 per cent of GDP, marginally lower than 3.4 per cent estimated in the revised estimates of the Budget, mainly due to increase in non-tax revenue and lower expenditure.

In absolute terms, fiscal deficit at the end of March 31, 2019, stood at Rs 6.45 trillion as against Rs 6.34 trillion in the revised estimates of Budget.

The fiscal deficit data was released by Controller General of Accounts (CGA).

Although in absolute terms the fiscal deficit has gone up, but as a percentage of GDP the deficit figure has come down marginally, mainly on account of GDP expansion in 2018-19 -- data of which will be released later in the day.