CAD doubles to $8.2 bn during Oct-Dec quarter
11 March 2015 11:20 PM GMT
In the same period a year ago, CAD — which is the gap between foreign exchange earned and spent — stood at $4.2 billion or 0.9 per cent of GDP. On sequential basis, however, the CAD narrowed from $10.1 billion or 2 per cent of GDP in the September quarter. It may be noted that heavy duties on import of gold were in place last fiscal, which are partially withdrawn now. Additionally, the country has also benefited from the lower crude prices.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) attributed narrowing of CAD on sequential basis to a pick-up in services exports, improvement in net earnings through travel and software services and lower net outflows under primary income profit, dividend and interest.
But the merchandise trade deficit widened to $39.2 billion during the reporting quarter as exports declined 7.3 per cent against a 4.5 per cent dip in imports. The inward remittances stood at $17.5 billion and supported the balance of payments with a 12.6 per cent share in the overall receipts, it said.
The net inflows of foreign direct and portfolio investments were somewhat lower compared to the September quarter, while the net loans availed by banks increased by $6.6 billion for the quarter mainly on account of inward repatriations of assets held abroad by banks, it said.
The capital account and financial account surplus came in at $10 billion during the reporting quarter, compared to $4.8 billion in the year-ago quarter.
There was a net accretion of $13.2 billion to the foreign exchange reserves during the quarter, which was double from $6.9 billion in the preceding quarter but lower than the special non-residents’ and banks overseas borrowings-boosted figure last year.
For the April-December period, the RBI said there is a considerable improvement in the BoP on account of higher growth in merchandise exports and a marginal rise in imports. During the first nine months of the fiscal, the CAD shrank to $26.2 billion or 1.7 percent of GDP against $31.1 billion or 2.3 percent of GDP during the same period last fiscal, it said. The trade deficit narrowed to $112.5 billion in the April-December period from $116.9 billion a year-ago. The net inflows under the capital and financial account rose to $61.7 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal up from $39.6 billion in the year-ago period.
The total accretion to the forex kitty for the first three quarters was $31.3 billion against a low $8.4 billion in the previous fiscal.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) attributed narrowing of CAD on sequential basis to a pick-up in services exports, improvement in net earnings through travel and software services and lower net outflows under primary income profit, dividend and interest.
But the merchandise trade deficit widened to $39.2 billion during the reporting quarter as exports declined 7.3 per cent against a 4.5 per cent dip in imports. The inward remittances stood at $17.5 billion and supported the balance of payments with a 12.6 per cent share in the overall receipts, it said.
The net inflows of foreign direct and portfolio investments were somewhat lower compared to the September quarter, while the net loans availed by banks increased by $6.6 billion for the quarter mainly on account of inward repatriations of assets held abroad by banks, it said.
The capital account and financial account surplus came in at $10 billion during the reporting quarter, compared to $4.8 billion in the year-ago quarter.
There was a net accretion of $13.2 billion to the foreign exchange reserves during the quarter, which was double from $6.9 billion in the preceding quarter but lower than the special non-residents’ and banks overseas borrowings-boosted figure last year.
For the April-December period, the RBI said there is a considerable improvement in the BoP on account of higher growth in merchandise exports and a marginal rise in imports. During the first nine months of the fiscal, the CAD shrank to $26.2 billion or 1.7 percent of GDP against $31.1 billion or 2.3 percent of GDP during the same period last fiscal, it said. The trade deficit narrowed to $112.5 billion in the April-December period from $116.9 billion a year-ago. The net inflows under the capital and financial account rose to $61.7 billion in the first nine months of the fiscal up from $39.6 billion in the year-ago period.
The total accretion to the forex kitty for the first three quarters was $31.3 billion against a low $8.4 billion in the previous fiscal.
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