Government Takes Steps to Contain Current Account Deficit

The current account deficit (CAD) as per cent of GDP during the last five years are given below:

Years	Current Account Deficit as per cent of GDP
2007-08	1.3
2008-09	2.3
2009-10	2.8
2010-11	2.7
2011-12 (Up to December 2011)	4.0

The CAD is financed by capital account surplus and drawdown of foreign exchange reserves in case CAD exceeds capital account balance.  Capital flows include both equity and debt.  Short term trade credit financed about one-tenth to one-fourth of the CAD in the recent years.

The recent increase in CAD is due to widening of trade deficit on account of higher imports of POL and gold & silver.  To lower the impact of gold imports on CAD under balance of payment, Government in the Union Budget 2012-13 has proposed to increase basic custom duty on standard gold bars; gold coins of purity exceeding 99.5 per cent and platinum from 2 per cent to 4 cent and on non-standard gold from 5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Further, the Reserve Bank of India has taken certain prudential measures in respect of Non-Banking Financing Companies (NBFCs) predominantly engaged in lending against collateral of gold jewellery, to restrict the loans against gold.  

             This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance, Shri   Namo Narain Meena in written reply to a question in Rajya  Sabha today.