India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now

India's growth performance has been impressive over the last two decades. But its sustainability has been in question, first with the 1991 fiscal-balance of payments crisis (BoP), and then again after 1997/98, when fiscal deficits returned to...

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Main Authors: Pinto, Brian, Zahir, Farah
Format: Policy Research Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: World Bank: Washington, DC 2013
Subjects:
GDP
M3
TAX
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/03/3092272/india-fiscal-adjustment-now
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14441
id okr-10986-14441
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-144412021-04-23T14:03:20Z India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now Pinto, Brian Zahir, Farah ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AGRICULTURE BAILOUT COSTS BALANCE OF PAYMENTS BALANCE SHEET BALANCE SHEETS BANK DEPOSITS BANKS BENCHMARK BONDS BORROWING CAPITAL EXPENDITURES CAPITAL FLOWS CAPITAL GAIN CENTRAL BANK CIVIL SERVICE COUNTRY COMPARISONS DEBT DEFAULT RISK DEMAND DEPOSITS DEPOSIT INSURANCE DEVALUATION DOMESTIC BORROWING DOMESTIC INFLATION ECONOMIC GROWTH ELECTRICITY EMPLOYMENT EQUILIBRIUM EVERGREENING EXCHANGE RATE EXPORTS EXTERNAL SHOCKS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION FINANCIAL SECTOR FISCAL ADJUSTMENT FISCAL DEFICIT FISCAL DEFICITS FISCAL POLICY FISCAL REFORM FISCAL RESTRAINT FISCAL YEAR FOREIGN BANKS FOREIGN EXCHANGE FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES GAMBLING GDP GOVERNMENT BONDS GOVERNMENT BUDGET GOVERNMENT DEBT GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES GOVERNMENT SECURITIES GOVERNMENT SPENDING GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT GROWTH POLICY GROWTH RATE GROWTH RATES IMPORTS INFLATION INFLATION RATES INSURANCE INTEREST RATES LENDING RATES LIQUIDITY LIQUIDITY RATIO LOW INTEREST RATES M3 MACROECONOMIC POLICY MACROECONOMIC STABILITY MUTUAL FUND NATIONALIZED BANKS PENSION LIABILITIES PENSIONS PER CAPITA INCOME POVERTY ALLEVIATION PRESENT VALUE PRIVATE BANKS PRIVATE SECTOR PRIVATIZATION PROVISIONS PUBLIC DEBT PUBLIC DEBT MANAGEMENT PUBLIC ENTERPRISES PUBLIC FINANCE PUBLIC OWNERSHIP PUBLIC SAVINGS PUBLIC SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR DEBT PUBLIC SPENDING REAL EXCHANGE RATE REAL EXCHANGE RATES REAL GDP REAL INTEREST RATE REAL INTEREST RATES REAL SECTOR REGIONAL RURAL BANKS RESERVE BANK OF INDIA RETURN ON INVESTMENT REVENUE MOBILIZATION REVENUE SOURCES SAVINGS RATES TAX TAX REFORM TAX REVENUE TIME DEPOSITS TOTAL REVENUE TRANSPORT USER CHARGES FISCAL BALANCE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS POVERTY MITIGATION PRIVATE INVESTMENTS FISCAL REFORMS FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY India's growth performance has been impressive over the last two decades. But its sustainability has been in question, first with the 1991 fiscal-balance of payments crisis (BoP), and then again after 1997/98, when fiscal deficits returned to the 10 percent of GDP range and government debt grew. This paper analyzes the deterioration in India's public finances and presents evidence suggesting that, in the absence of a fiscal adjustment, low inflation and high reserves may have been pursued at the expense of long-run growth and poverty reduction. Resolving this inflation-external vulnerability-growth policy trilemma requires fiscal adjustment. In making its case, the paper shows, first, that fiscal fundamentals have weakened after 1997/98 even when compared with the pre-1991 crisis period. This has continued in spite of the recent record lows in interest rates. Second, the fiscal stance is not conducive to long-run growth and poverty reduction because capital spending has been cut to accommodate higher interest payments and other current spending, with expenditures on the social sectors stagnating. Third, without a fiscal adjustment, the debt burden is likely to reach unmanageable levels by the end of the Tenth Plan period. In contrast, a phased adjustment beginning now and focusing on a relatively small set of reforms is likely to improve debt dynamics substantially over the same horizon, while also promoting faster growth and poverty reduction. 2013-07-10T15:49:16Z 2013-07-10T15:49:16Z 2004-03 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/03/3092272/india-fiscal-adjustment-now http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14441 English en_US Policy, Research working paper;no. WPS 3230 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank: Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research South Asia India
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
AGRICULTURE
BAILOUT COSTS
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
BALANCE SHEET
BALANCE SHEETS
BANK DEPOSITS
BANKS
BENCHMARK
BONDS
BORROWING
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
CAPITAL FLOWS
CAPITAL GAIN
CENTRAL BANK
CIVIL SERVICE
COUNTRY COMPARISONS
DEBT
DEFAULT RISK
DEMAND DEPOSITS
DEPOSIT INSURANCE
DEVALUATION
DOMESTIC BORROWING
DOMESTIC INFLATION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ELECTRICITY
EMPLOYMENT
EQUILIBRIUM
EVERGREENING
EXCHANGE RATE
EXPORTS
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION
FINANCIAL SECTOR
FISCAL ADJUSTMENT
FISCAL DEFICIT
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL POLICY
FISCAL REFORM
FISCAL RESTRAINT
FISCAL YEAR
FOREIGN BANKS
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES
GAMBLING
GDP
GOVERNMENT BONDS
GOVERNMENT BUDGET
GOVERNMENT DEBT
GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROWTH POLICY
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
IMPORTS
INFLATION
INFLATION RATES
INSURANCE
INTEREST RATES
LENDING RATES
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY RATIO
LOW INTEREST RATES
M3
MACROECONOMIC POLICY
MACROECONOMIC STABILITY
MUTUAL FUND
NATIONALIZED BANKS
PENSION LIABILITIES
PENSIONS
PER CAPITA INCOME
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATE BANKS
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATIZATION
PROVISIONS
PUBLIC DEBT
PUBLIC DEBT MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
PUBLIC SAVINGS
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR DEBT
PUBLIC SPENDING
REAL EXCHANGE RATE
REAL EXCHANGE RATES
REAL GDP
REAL INTEREST RATE
REAL INTEREST RATES
REAL SECTOR
REGIONAL RURAL BANKS
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
REVENUE MOBILIZATION
REVENUE SOURCES
SAVINGS RATES
TAX
TAX REFORM
TAX REVENUE
TIME DEPOSITS
TOTAL REVENUE
TRANSPORT
USER CHARGES FISCAL BALANCE
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
POVERTY MITIGATION
PRIVATE INVESTMENTS
FISCAL REFORMS
FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY
spellingShingle ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
AGRICULTURE
BAILOUT COSTS
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
BALANCE SHEET
BALANCE SHEETS
BANK DEPOSITS
BANKS
BENCHMARK
BONDS
BORROWING
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
CAPITAL FLOWS
CAPITAL GAIN
CENTRAL BANK
CIVIL SERVICE
COUNTRY COMPARISONS
DEBT
DEFAULT RISK
DEMAND DEPOSITS
DEPOSIT INSURANCE
DEVALUATION
DOMESTIC BORROWING
DOMESTIC INFLATION
ECONOMIC GROWTH
ELECTRICITY
EMPLOYMENT
EQUILIBRIUM
EVERGREENING
EXCHANGE RATE
EXPORTS
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL INTERMEDIATION
FINANCIAL SECTOR
FISCAL ADJUSTMENT
FISCAL DEFICIT
FISCAL DEFICITS
FISCAL POLICY
FISCAL REFORM
FISCAL RESTRAINT
FISCAL YEAR
FOREIGN BANKS
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES
GAMBLING
GDP
GOVERNMENT BONDS
GOVERNMENT BUDGET
GOVERNMENT DEBT
GOVERNMENT GUARANTEES
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES
GOVERNMENT SPENDING
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT
GROWTH POLICY
GROWTH RATE
GROWTH RATES
IMPORTS
INFLATION
INFLATION RATES
INSURANCE
INTEREST RATES
LENDING RATES
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY RATIO
LOW INTEREST RATES
M3
MACROECONOMIC POLICY
MACROECONOMIC STABILITY
MUTUAL FUND
NATIONALIZED BANKS
PENSION LIABILITIES
PENSIONS
PER CAPITA INCOME
POVERTY ALLEVIATION
PRESENT VALUE
PRIVATE BANKS
PRIVATE SECTOR
PRIVATIZATION
PROVISIONS
PUBLIC DEBT
PUBLIC DEBT MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
PUBLIC FINANCE
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
PUBLIC SAVINGS
PUBLIC SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR DEBT
PUBLIC SPENDING
REAL EXCHANGE RATE
REAL EXCHANGE RATES
REAL GDP
REAL INTEREST RATE
REAL INTEREST RATES
REAL SECTOR
REGIONAL RURAL BANKS
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
REVENUE MOBILIZATION
REVENUE SOURCES
SAVINGS RATES
TAX
TAX REFORM
TAX REVENUE
TIME DEPOSITS
TOTAL REVENUE
TRANSPORT
USER CHARGES FISCAL BALANCE
BALANCE OF PAYMENTS
POVERTY MITIGATION
PRIVATE INVESTMENTS
FISCAL REFORMS
FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY
Pinto, Brian
Zahir, Farah
India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
geographic_facet South Asia
India
relation Policy, Research working paper;no. WPS 3230
description India's growth performance has been impressive over the last two decades. But its sustainability has been in question, first with the 1991 fiscal-balance of payments crisis (BoP), and then again after 1997/98, when fiscal deficits returned to the 10 percent of GDP range and government debt grew. This paper analyzes the deterioration in India's public finances and presents evidence suggesting that, in the absence of a fiscal adjustment, low inflation and high reserves may have been pursued at the expense of long-run growth and poverty reduction. Resolving this inflation-external vulnerability-growth policy trilemma requires fiscal adjustment. In making its case, the paper shows, first, that fiscal fundamentals have weakened after 1997/98 even when compared with the pre-1991 crisis period. This has continued in spite of the recent record lows in interest rates. Second, the fiscal stance is not conducive to long-run growth and poverty reduction because capital spending has been cut to accommodate higher interest payments and other current spending, with expenditures on the social sectors stagnating. Third, without a fiscal adjustment, the debt burden is likely to reach unmanageable levels by the end of the Tenth Plan period. In contrast, a phased adjustment beginning now and focusing on a relatively small set of reforms is likely to improve debt dynamics substantially over the same horizon, while also promoting faster growth and poverty reduction.
format Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper
author Pinto, Brian
Zahir, Farah
author_facet Pinto, Brian
Zahir, Farah
author_sort Pinto, Brian
title India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
title_short India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
title_full India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
title_fullStr India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
title_full_unstemmed India : Why Fiscal Adjustment Now
title_sort india : why fiscal adjustment now
publisher World Bank: Washington, DC
publishDate 2013
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2004/03/3092272/india-fiscal-adjustment-now
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/14441
_version_ 1764430031860269056