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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Fertiliser subsidy bill for the current fiscal set to cross Rs 70,000 crore by Deepshikha Sikarwar

Fertiliser subsidy bill for the current fiscal set to cross Rs 70,000 crore by Deepshikha Sikarwar

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published Published on Mar 14, 2012   modified Modified on Mar 14, 2012

The government is likely to peg fertiliser subsidy for next financial year at Rs 66,000 crore, lower than the actual outgo in 2011-12. 

"A moderate increase is likely," said a government official. The actual subsidy bill for the fiscal is likely to come at over Rs 70,000 crore though the government had budgeted for just Rs 49,997 crore in the budget 2011-12. 

Private analysts had soon after the presentation of the last budget raised the issue of underestimation of subsidy outgo and have pitched for a credible fiscal consolidation roadmap in the upcoming budget. The government had budgeted a mere 3.6% increase in its overall expenditure in 2011-12. 

"Subsidy pricing and visibility on project execution should also make the agenda. But, we believe it is the credibility - of the budget estimates, and reform measures - that will carry more weight than the announcements themselves," said Rohini Malkani, chief economist, Citi Group India. 

The difference between retail price and cost of production of urea, which account for more than half of country's total fertiliser consumption of 52 million tonne, is paid to producing companies as subsidy. 

The government has notified a nutrient-based subsidy regime for fertilizers but politically sensitive urea is out of its ambit. Under the nutrient-based subsidy regime, the quantum of subsidy for each of the nutrients phosphates (P) and potassium (K) is provided to the producer or importers at a fixed rate by the government. 

Manufacturers are free to price these decontrolled fertilizers in line with the price trends trend in the international market as India relies on imports to the extent of 90% for phosphatic and 100% for potassic fertilsers . 

North Block has already given Rs 13,778 crore in the second supplementary demand for grants and has agreed to Rs 7,200 crore in the third supplementary to be presented in the budget session. 

The fertiliser ministry had projected a revised subsidy estimate of about Rs 71,000 crore, following the spike in international prices of inputs and fertiliser prices. Moreover, the ministry has also not been able to move forward on urea decontrol. 

The government had projected the fiscal deficit -- gap between expenditure and receipts -- at 4.6% of the GDP in the budget. But, the deficit is expected to be much higher due to lower tax mop-up, ballooning subsidy bill and lower divestment proceeds. 

Subsidy bill itself is expected to be at least Rs 1 lakh crore over and above the original projection. 

The finance ministry is under pressure to rein in expenditure with every important stakeholder including the central bank and industry calling for fiscal consolidation. The RBI, which is under increasing pressure to cut rates to revive growth, has already said it will not be able to start monetary easing till the time there is meaningful fiscal consolidation.

The Economic Times, 14 March, 2012, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/fertiliser-subsidy-bill-for-the-current-fiscal-set-to-cross-rs-70000-crore/articleshow/12256201.cms


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