3010億美元國際“民工”匯款成窮國生命線

昨日公布的最新研究報告顯示，發(fā)展中國家移民工人去年匯回給家人的資金超過3010億美元——比先前公布的估計數(shù)字高出近三分之一。

Migrant workers last year sent home more than $301bn (￡148bn, ?212bn) to their families in developing countries ? an amount nearly a third higher than previous published estimates ? according to new research published yesterday.

聯(lián)合國國際農(nóng)業(yè)發(fā)展基金(IFAD)和美洲開發(fā)銀行(Inter-American Development Bank)聯(lián)合進行的這項研究，與世界銀行(World Bank)最近公布的數(shù)字形成比較。世界銀行估計，移民工人2006年匯回國內(nèi)的資金為2070億美元，盡管該行表示，如果將通過非正規(guī)渠道轉(zhuǎn)移回國內(nèi)的資金包括在內(nèi)，總額可能更高。

The study by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Inter-American Development Bank compares with recent World Bank figures for 2006 of $207bn, although the bank said the total would be higher if money sent through informal channels were included.

這項研究是全面計算移民匯款的首次嘗試——除了各個央行記錄在案的數(shù)字外，還包括通過非正規(guī)渠道匯回國內(nèi)的資金。

The study represents the first attempt to calculate fully remittances sent through informal channels, in addition to those recorded by central banks.

研究顯示，一些較貧窮國家和地區(qū)（特別是在撒哈拉沙漠以南的非洲國家和部分亞洲國家）的經(jīng)濟對匯款的依賴程度比以往想象的更深。農(nóng)發(fā)基金總裁雷納特?鮑格(Lennart Bage)表示：“匯款是陷入困境的經(jīng)濟體的生命線。”

It shows that the economies of some poorer countries and regions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, are more dependent on remittances than had been thought. “Remittances represent a lifeline to struggling economies,” said Lennart B?ge, the president of IFAD.

IFAD和美洲開發(fā)銀行的研究人員不僅使用了各個央行記錄的正式數(shù)據(jù)，而且進行了民意調(diào)查、家庭支出和學術(shù)研究調(diào)查等，采用了各個商業(yè)銀行和匯款機構(gòu)的正式記錄。

As well as using the official numbers recorded by central banks, researchers from IFAD and IDB drew on opinion polls, surveys of household spending and academic research, and on official records from banks and money transfer operators.

過去20年，經(jīng)濟自由化和跨境移民的不斷增加，導(dǎo)致匯款急劇增長。1980年，匯往發(fā)展中國家的款項只有184億美元。但匯款的增加在一定程度上也反映了這樣一個事實：幾個國家的央行調(diào)整了它們收集數(shù)據(jù)的方式。

Economic liberalisation and rising cross-border migration has triggered a sharp rise in remittance flows in the last two decades, with flows to developing countries up from $18.4bn in 1980. But part of the increase reflects the fact that central banks in several countries have adjusted the way they collect data.

對匯款規(guī)模了解程度的加深，促進了決策者對這個問題的關(guān)注，鼓勵了政界人士消除對匯款的限制。

Greater knowledge of the size of remittance flows has helped policy-makers focus on the issue and encouraged politicians to eliminate restrictions that make it difficult to send money.

另外，它還吸引了金融機構(gòu)從事匯款業(yè)務(wù)，加劇了競爭，壓低了匯款的平均成本。

It has also attracted financial institutions to the business of money transfer, increasing competition and driving down the average cost of making a remittance.

以央行在評估匯款市場規(guī)模方面取得了最大進展的拉丁美洲為例。在這里，銀行與匯款機構(gòu)[如西聯(lián)匯款(Western Union)和速匯金(MoneyGram) ]之間的競爭之間非常激烈，在過去7年中，傭金下降了約三分之二，目前平均為5%。

In Latin America, for example, where central banks have made most progress in assessing the real size of the remittance market, competition between banks and money transfer companies, such as Western Union and MoneyGram, is acute and commissions have fallen by about two thirds to average about 5 per cent in the past seven years.