Fiscal deficit of states expected to moderate to 2.8 percent of GDP

The aggregate fiscal deficit of the states is likely to moderate to 2.8 percent of GDP, 20 bps higher than the budgeted target, on the back of the states, likely achieving a zero revenue balance to GDP ratio in FY19, said a report.

The aggregate fiscal deficit of the states is likely to moderate to 2.8 percent of GDP, 20 bps higher than the budgeted target, on the back of the states, likely achieving a zero revenue balance to GDP ratio in FY19, said a report.

Accordingly, the outlook on the finances of the states in FY19 is stable, India Ratings said in its report.

The agency has revised downward the aggregate debt/GDP estimate to 24.4 percent for FY19 from its earlier estimate of 25.8 percent. The states have budgeted debt/GDP at 24.3 percent for FY19, marginally higher than 24 percent in FY18.

It estimates the states' aggregate revenue receipt to grow 13.9 percent in FY19 from the previous year. The estimate is marginally higher than the earlier forecast of 13.7 percent.

The higher borrowings will largely be used to fund the capex programme of the states.

The states have budgeted their combined gross market borrowings at Rs 4,40,720 crore in FY19. But the agency estimates the borrowings to be higher at Rs 4,65,280 crore this fiscal.

The states' aggregate market borrowings rose to Rs 1.1 trillion during April to July 2018, from Rs 98,200 crore over April to July 2017.

However, the likely improvement in the deficit ratios is vulnerable to the disproportionate revenue spends due to populist measures in the run-up to state and general elections in mid-2019, the report warns.

It believes that revenue from the goods and services tax would support tax revenue collection of the states in FY19. It expects the states' aggregate tax revenue including devolutions from the Centre to grow 16 percent in FY19.

On the expenditure side, it expects growth in revenue expenditure to moderate to 11.2 percent, from 20.7 percent in FY18, as salary revisions of state government employees and the outgo related to farm loan waivers have already been absorbed to some extent in FY18 itself.

The report sees the interest payment/revenue receipt ratio to marginally moderate to 11.3 percent from 11.9 percent in FY18, due to a likely higher growth in revenue receipts. But it expects the ratios for Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Bengal to remain high in the range of 14 to 22 percent the year to March 2019.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)