Article
Suyash Rai, Anirudh Burman
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Budget 2019: India Has a Law to Cap Fiscal Deficit but UPA and NDA Couldn’t Care Less
The Indian budget is such a big deal because it combines the exercise of many powers. Among them, the power to run deficits is special.
By Suyash Rai
Published on Jul 4, 2019
Source: Print
The budget is such a big deal because it combines the exercise of many powers. Among them, the power to run deficits is special. In a competitive democracy, the pressures to spend always exceed the willingness to tax. This creates a fertile ground for excessive deficits, whose consequences are suffered by future generations.
The legal framework for fiscal discipline is provided under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. Passed in 2003 when the NDA was in power, and notified in 2004 by the UPA government, the FRBM law sets deficit caps (fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of the GDP and elimination of revenue deficit) and limits on debt and guarantees, among other requirements.
About the Author
Suyash Rai
Former Fellow, Carnegie India
Suyash Rai was a fellow at Carnegie India. His research focuses on the political economy of economic reforms, and the performance of public institutions in India.
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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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