Every number in Budget is authentic, says Finance Minister Sitharaman

Data given in the Budget is 100% above board, Sitharaman said

Economy & Policy: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the government was committed to the path of fiscal consolidation without compromising on public expenditure. Sitharaman also said all the data mentioned in the Budget 2019-20 was authentic, allaying the Opposition’s doubts about the numbers.

Doubts have cropped up because the Budget assumed 12 per cent economic growth at current prices, while the Economic Survey, presented a day earlier, implicitly pegged the growth at 11 per cent. All the key numbers in the Budget — be it revenues or the fiscal deficit — are based on the nominal GDP growth rate assumed for the year.

Replying to the general discussion on the Budget, Sitharaman said the assumed gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for FY20 was on the basis of the first advance estimates for national accounts released on January 7. However, the Economic Survey projected the growth rate based on the first actual numbers released on May 31, she said. Read More

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