ISLAMABAD: The budget deficit has ballooned to 1.1 percent of the GDP for the first quarter (July – September) 2020/2021 as compared with the deficit of 0.7 percent in the corresponding quarter of the last fiscal year, according to fiscal statistics released by the finance ministry on Wednesday.
The size of GDP has been estimated at Rs45,567 billion by the end of first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared with the size of Rs44,003 billion in the same period of the last fiscal year.
The ministry said that the total revenue had declined nominally to Rs1478.75 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared with Rs1,489 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
Tax revenue has also declined to Rs1,122 billion for the quarter under review as compared with Rs1,142 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
Out of the total tax revenue for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the federal government contributed Rs1,011 billion and provincial governments contributed Rs111.76 billion.
The ministry said that non-tax revenue witnessed an increase to Rs356.35 billion during the first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared with Rs346 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
Out of total non-tax revenue, the federal government contribution was Rs336 billion and the share of provincial government was Rs20 billion.
Total expenditures have registered significantly to Rs1,963 billion during July – September of fiscal year 2020/2021 as compared with Rs1,775 billion in the corresponding quarter of the last fiscal year.
Current expenditure sharply increased to Rs1,812 billion during first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared with Rs1,582 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
Expenditure of mark-up payment increased to Rs742 billion as compared with Rs571 billion.
However, defence expenditure fell to Rs224 billion during first quarter of the current fiscal year as compared with Rs242 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
The government spent Rs215 billion on development projects during the first three months of the current fiscal year as compared with Rs147.17 billion in the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.
The fiscal deficit for the first quarter of current fiscal year was recorded at Rs484 billion as compared with the deficit of Rs286 billion in the same quarter of the last fiscal year.
