Mukherjee set to present India’s budget for this fiscal

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday said recovery of Indian economy in the current fiscal would be difficult unless there were visible improvements in the global economic scenario. Speaking to a television channel after presenting the union budget for 2009-10, Mukherjee said the economy would likely recover in the third quarter of 2009-10, but if the western economies did not improve, we will take a longer period.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India's fiscal budget has risen from Rs.193 crores to over Rs.10 lakh crores in the 63 years since independence of the country in 1947, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while presenting the budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha Monday. "Madam speaker, I am happy to announce that for the first time, the budget estimates have crossed Rs.10 lakh crores.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will present the first general budget at 11am today in Lok Sabha. This is the first general budget of the UPA government after coming to power for second term.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said that the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP is projected at 6.8 per cent as compared to 2.5 per cent of the Budget Estimates (BE) for 2008-09 and 6.2 per cent as per the provisional accounts of 2008-09. Presenting the General Budget for 2009-10 in Lok Sabha on Monday, Mukherjee assured that government would address the issue properly to come back to the path of fiscal consolidation, as this level of deficit was a matter of concern.

July 6th, 2009 Every Indian is eagerly awaiting the biggest Budget ever, amidst the slowing down economy. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would present Union budget for this fiscal from 11 this morning.

June 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin pre-budget consultations with different groups from today. Mukherjee will hold consultations with trade and industry bodies like the FICCI, the CII, the ASSOCHAM and the FIEO, economists, agriculturists, bankers and corporate honchos ahead of the presentation of the budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July.

May 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will begin pre-budget consultations with different groups from Monday. Mukherjee will hold consultations with trade and industry bodies like the FICCI, the CII, the ASSOCHAM and the FIEO, economists, agriculturists, bankers and corporate honchos ahead of the presentation of the budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July.

May 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said the government would present the budget for 2009-10 in the first week of July. "I would not like to have a second batch of vote on account.

May 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee formally assumed charge of his portfolio - an office he returns to after a quarter of a century - Monday and immediately got down to business with a meeting with top officials on the preparation of the national budget. "Immediately after assuming charge, Mukherjee had a series of meetings with all senior officers of the ministry and reviewed the status of various programmes and issues related to all departments of the ministry," said an official statement.

May 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday expressed optimism that the government would be able to present the financial budget in due time. "Indian economy is resilient, strong and we shall have to build up and come back to the growth track as early as possible.

February 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - India’s consolidated fiscal deficit may increase to 10.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this fiscal and 10 percent the next year, according to an estimate by global investment bank Goldman Sachs. 'We do not think that the deficit will come down substantially over the next few years,' Tushar Poddar, economist with Goldman Sachs, said in a statement.

February 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India’s consolidated fiscal deficit may increase to 10.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this fiscal and 10 percent the next year, according to an estimate by global investment bank Goldman Sachs. 'We do not think that the deficit will come down substantially over the next few years,' Tushar Poddar, economist with Goldman Sachs, said in a statement.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Monday said high fiscal deficit was inevitable given the global economic scenario and increasing public expenditure. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee in his interim budget speech pegged the current fiscal's deficit at 6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), but hoped that it would come down to 5.5 percent in next financial year.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Reacting to criticisms over lack of measures in the interim budget presented Monday, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said in an election year, an incumbent government had the mandate only to present a vote on account. 'I think this is a failure to understand the limitations of an interim budget,' Ahluwalia said, soon after industry and average citizens complained that the interim budget tabled in parliament by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee had no specific measures on tax rates or to help cushion the impact of global slowdown.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee began presenting the interim budget for the next fiscal amid expectations that measures will be announced to cushion the impact of global meltdown on the Indian economy, and help revive consumer demand. The exercise began with Mukherjee reading out his budget speech in the Lok Sabha, during which he will also seek an approval to finance the government's expenditure, till such time the regular budget is presented by a new government after elections, and passed by parliament.