評論
打印
Few measures are as unpopular with the profession, which sees prices as both a signal of scarcity and a spur to overcome it.
很少有措施像這個行業那樣不受歡迎，這個行業認為價格既是稀缺的信號，又是克服稀缺的激勵。
Controlling them scrambles the signal and blunts the spur. Price floors result in food rotting in warehouses.
管制它們會擾亂信號，削弱刺激。最低價格導致食品在倉庫中腐爛。
Ceilings lead to underinvestment, hoarding and black markets.
限額會導致投資不足、囤積和黑市交易。
Efforts to stabilise prices at home can increase volatility abroad. Export bans, for example, force farmers to sell domestically, worsening global shortages.
國內穩定物價的努力可能會加劇國外的波動。例如，出口禁令迫使農民在國內出售糧食，加劇了全球糧食短缺。
The World Bank reckons that governments' attempts to insulate their countries
世界銀行估計，在2010到2011年，政府試圖使他們的國家
from higher food prices accounted for 40% of the increase in world wheat prices in 2010-11.
不受更高的食品價格的影響，這占了世界小麥價格上漲原因的40%。
One reason not to impose price controls is that they are so hard to remove.
不實施價格管制的一個原因是，價格管制很難取消。
"We struggled to find an example where it has gone very smoothly,"
世行《全球經濟展望》報告的主要作者之一表示：“
says Franziska Ohnsorge, a lead author of the bank's "Global Economic Prospects" report.
我們很難找到一個進展非常順利的例子?！?/div>
A fare increase last year on Santiago's metro of 30 pesos ($0.04) was the trigger for widespread unrest
去年圣地亞哥地鐵票價上漲了30比索（0.04美元），
that brought Chile's army onto the streets and resulted in 29 deaths.
引發了廣泛的動亂，智利軍隊走上街頭，造成29人死亡。
When removing price controls, it helps to get the timing right. With ceilings, it is best to act when market prices are low.
當取消價格管制時，它有助于把握正確的時機。有了上限，最好在市場價格較低時采取行動。
Ivory Coast, Mexico and Rwanda took advantage of the oil-price slump after 2014 to reduce their fuel subsidies.
科特迪瓦、墨西哥和盧旺達利用2014年后油價下跌的機會減少了燃料補貼。
The bank also recommends linking the removal of price controls with offsetting measures to help the needy.
世行還建議將取消價格管制和抵消措施聯系起來以幫助需要的人。
Egypt, for example, increased spending on health and education after raising prices for gas, petrol and electricity.
例如，埃及在提高燃氣、石油和電力價格后，增加健康和教育上的支出。
But not everyone was appeased. Many people who know that higher prices will hurt them doubt that higher social spending will ever help them.
但并不是每一人都滿意。很多知道更高價格會傷害到自己的人不相信高社會支出會幫助他們。
In 2010 Iran tried to overcome such scepticism by giving money to households to compensate them for a reduction in fuel subsidies.
2010年，伊朗試圖通過向家庭提供資金以補償燃料補貼的減少來克服這種懷疑。
In an ingenious twist, it paid the transfers first, depositing the money in accounts that were locked until prices were lifted.
一個巧妙的轉變是，它首先支付轉賬，將錢存入鎖定的賬戶，直到價格上漲。
It is a lesson other countries should heed, argues Shanta Devarajan, a former World Bank economist.
前世銀經濟學家Shanta Devarajan認為這是其他國家應該吸取的教訓。
Unfortunately, Iran itself seems to have forgotten it. In November it raised fuel prices sharply and suddenly.
不幸的是，似乎伊朗自己已經忘了。在11月，其突然大幅提高了燃料價格。
Protesters poured onto the streets. "It's very difficult to remove these controls," says Ms Ohnsorge. "It's better not to have them in the first place."
抗議者涌上街頭。Ohnsorge女士稱，“取消這些控制非常困難”?！白詈檬且婚_始就不要進行價格管制。”
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