KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 (Bernama) -- The government is expected to announce a lower budget deficit number under Budget 2013, in line with its target to achieve three per cent deficit by 2015.

Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said every year the government always looks at the deficit when preparing the budget, adding it will always be maintained under five per cent.

"For Budget 2013, we will reduce our deficit as compared to the one this year, which we have estimated at about 4.7 per cent.

"The Cabinet has approved the draft budget, so we are now preparing to define it and prepare the budget speech," he told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the CFO Thought Leadership Roundtable here today.

In his speech, Husni said: "Just as we should not see the gross domestic product growth number in a simplistic and isolated context, we need to review our fiscal deficit within a number of perspectives.