BALANCE OF PAYMENT: ECONOMY

NEWS:  India's Current Account: Registered a surplus in Q4 (Jan-Mar) of the 2023-24 financial year, first time in 11 quarters.

WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?

Balance of Payments Overview

  • Definition: Records transactions in goods, services, and assets between residents of a country and the rest of the world over a specified period, typically a year.
  • Main Accounts:
    • Current Account: Records exports and imports of goods and services, and transfer payments.
    • Capital Account: Records all international purchases and sales of assets like money, stocks, and bonds.

Key Points

  • Deficit vs. Surplus:
    • Deficit: Not always bad; can indicate a need to import capital goods to build production capacity.
    • Surplus: Not always good; may not signify a healthy economy.
  • Trade Deficit: Suggests strong underlying demand in the economy.
  • Account Balance: Current and capital accounts move in opposite directions; a current account deficit is matched by a capital account surplus and vice versa.
  • Overall BoP: Ultimately balances out, with no aggregate deficits or surpluses.

Source :  https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/how-to-read-indias-balance-of-payments-9435678/#:~:text=What%20is%20Balance%20of%20Payments,and%20out%20of%20the%20country.