{
  "id": 12077043,
  "title": "Federal deficit narrows to 3.7% as new borrowing falls in 2025 - Auditor-General",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/05/federal-deficit-narrows-to-3-7-as-new-borrowing-falls-in-2025-auditor",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-05T04:54:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Vibes",
    "slug": "the-vibes",
    "url": "https://www.thevibes.com/articles/news/127995/federal-deficit-narrows-to-3.7-as-new-borrowing-falls-in-2025-auditor-general"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Malaysia's fiscal position improved in 2025, with the federal deficit narrowing to 3.7% of GDP from 4.1% the previous year. The National Audit Department reported that the deficit reduction exceeded the 3.8% target set under Budget 2025. New borrowing fell by 8.2% to RM185.577 billion, down from RM202.248 billion in 2024. The government's debt grew more slowly from 2021 to 2025, from 10.2% to 5.9% of GDP. The Auditor-General issued an unqualified opinion on the federal government's financial statements but noted weaknesses in the recovery of callable loans, with only 5% of RM9.273 billion in arrears collected in 2025.",
  "summary": "THE Federal Government’s fiscal position improved in 2025, with its deficit narrowing to 3.7 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 4.1 per cent a year earlier as revenue surplus increased and new borrowing declined. The National Audit Departm...",
  "key_points": [
    "Federal deficit narrowed to 3.7% of GDP in 2025",
    "New borrowing fell by 8.2% to RM185.577 billion",
    "Debt grew more slowly from 10.2% to 5.9% of GDP"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The narrowing federal deficit and reduced new borrowing indicate Malaysia's fiscal position is strengthening, with the government's debt growth slowing and exceeding its deficit target for 2025.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}