印度重獲“增長(zhǎng)最快的大型經(jīng)濟(jì)體”稱號(hào)

India has regained its title as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, after figures confirmed it grew by more than 7 per cent on an annualised basis in the three months to December, overtaking China once more.

印度重獲“世界增長(zhǎng)最快的大型經(jīng)濟(jì)體”稱號(hào)，此前數(shù)據(jù)證實(shí)，在截至去年12月的三個(gè)月內(nèi)，印度經(jīng)濟(jì)同比增長(zhǎng)7%以上，再次跑贏中國(guó)。

Data released yesterday show the economy grew at an annual rate of 7.2 per cent in the final quarter of last year, continuing its bounceback from a sharp slowdown in the middle of 2017. The Chinese economy grew 6.8 per cent on an annualised basis over the same period.

昨日公布的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，去年末季印度經(jīng)濟(jì)同比增長(zhǎng)7.2%，延續(xù)從2017年年中大幅放緩的反彈。同期中國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)同比增長(zhǎng)6.8%。

The data are a boost for Narendra Modi, prime minister, who has come under pressure because of the economic slowdown, ahead of a general election due next year. The news also comes as a welcome relief following a week in which his administration has been attacked for failing to prevent a $1.8bn fraud at the state-owned Punjab National Bank.

這些數(shù)據(jù)對(duì)印度總理納倫德拉•莫迪(Narendra Modi)是一個(gè)助力，他在明年大選之前由于經(jīng)濟(jì)放緩而受到壓力。在經(jīng)歷了難熬的一周——其間他的政府受到指責(zé)，被指未能防止國(guó)有的旁遮普國(guó)家銀行(Punjab National Bank)遭遇18億美元欺詐——之后，這個(gè)消息也讓莫迪政府欣慰地松了口氣。

Piyush Goyal, the railways minister who is seen as close to Mr Modi, welcomed yesterday’s figures, tweeting: “India’s GDP growth momentum continues strongly & sustainably — jumps to 7.2% in 3rd quarter of 2017-18, makes India the fastest growing large economy in the world.”

被視為與莫迪關(guān)系密切的鐵道部長(zhǎng)皮尤什•戈亞爾(Piyush Goyal)對(duì)昨日的數(shù)據(jù)表示歡迎。他在Twitter上寫(xiě)道：“印度的GDP增長(zhǎng)勢(shì)頭保持強(qiáng)勁且可持續(xù)——在2017-18財(cái)年的第三季度躍升至7.2%，使印度成為世界上增長(zhǎng)最快的大型經(jīng)濟(jì)體”。

Pronab Sen, the country’s former chief statistician, called the figures “very strong — much stronger than expected”.

印度前首席統(tǒng)計(jì)師普羅納布•森(Pronab Sen)形容這些數(shù)字“非常強(qiáng)勁——比預(yù)期強(qiáng)勁得多”。

Mr Modi came to power in 2014 promising economic reforms that would help boost the economy and create 10m jobs a year, just shy of the estimated 13m India needs to account for the number of young people entering the workforce each year.

莫迪于2014年上臺(tái)執(zhí)政，承諾推行經(jīng)濟(jì)改革，以促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，每年創(chuàng)造1000萬(wàn)個(gè)就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)，僅略低于印度每年需要為進(jìn)入勞動(dòng)力市場(chǎng)的1300萬(wàn)年輕人提供的就業(yè)崗位。

But his record had come under fire following his sudden decision in 2016 to cancel most of the country’s banknotes, followed by a botched attempt to reform the complex sales tax system.

但在他于2016年突然決定廢止印度的大部分紙幣、隨后又搞砸了對(duì)復(fù)雜的銷售稅制度的改革后，他的政績(jī)受到抨擊。

The problems arising from both of these moves helped knock the economy off course last year, as it fell from growth of 9.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2016 to just 5.7 per cent in the three months to June 2017.

這兩個(gè)舉措帶來(lái)的問(wèn)題在一定程度上導(dǎo)致印度經(jīng)濟(jì)去年驟然放緩，增速?gòu)?016年第一季度的9.1%降至2017年第二季度的5.7%。

Last month, Arun Jaitley, the finance minister, attempted to mitigate some of the effects of the slowdown as he announced a budget which included higher minimum prices for farmers and free health insurance for 100m poor families.

上月，印度財(cái)長(zhǎng)阿倫•亞特力(Arun Jaitley)試圖緩解經(jīng)濟(jì)放緩的一部分影響。他宣布一項(xiàng)預(yù)算，其中包括調(diào)高面向農(nóng)戶的最低收購(gòu)價(jià)格以及為1億貧困家庭提供免費(fèi)醫(yī)保。

That slowdown was reversed in the third quarter of last year, and yesterday’s data showed the improvement con­tinued in the following quarter.

經(jīng)濟(jì)放緩在去年第三季度發(fā)生逆轉(zhuǎn)，昨日數(shù)據(jù)顯示接下來(lái)那個(gè)季度的經(jīng)濟(jì)形勢(shì)繼續(xù)好轉(zhuǎn)。

The most recent quarter’s data were boosted in particular by a recovery in construction, which ex­panded 6.8 per cent. This had been one of the sectors to suffer most in the wake of demonetisation, with many of India’s property deals having previously been paid for in cash as a way to avoid tax. Manufacturing meanwhile grew 8.1 per cent, while the country’s important agricultural sector was 4.1 per cent larger.

最近一個(gè)季度的數(shù)據(jù)尤其受到建筑業(yè)復(fù)蘇的推動(dòng)，該行業(yè)擴(kuò)張6.8%。此前這是遭受“廢鈔令”最沉重打擊的行業(yè)之一，因?yàn)橐酝《扔泻芏喾康禺a(chǎn)交易以現(xiàn)金支付，作為一種避稅手段。與此同時(shí)制造業(yè)增長(zhǎng)8.1%，而印度重要的農(nóng)業(yè)部門增長(zhǎng)4.1%。

Earlier in the day, the credit rating agency Moody’s had said that it expected India to grow by 7.6 per cent in 2018.

當(dāng)日早些時(shí)候，信用評(píng)級(jí)機(jī)構(gòu)穆迪(Moody’s)表示，預(yù)計(jì)2018年印度經(jīng)濟(jì)將增長(zhǎng)7.6%。

It said: “There are some signs that the Indian economy is starting to recover from the soft growth patch attributed to the negative impact of the demonetisation undertaken in 2016 and disruption related to last year’s rollout of the Goods and Service Tax.”

該機(jī)構(gòu)稱：“有跡象顯示，印度經(jīng)濟(jì)正開(kāi)始從一段疲弱增長(zhǎng)期復(fù)蘇，這段疲弱時(shí)期可歸因于2016年廢鈔舉措的負(fù)面影響，以及與去年出臺(tái)商品和服務(wù)稅有關(guān)的擾亂。”

The International Monetary Fund has forecast India will grow by 7.4 per cent in 2018 and 7.8 per cent in 2019.

國(guó)際貨幣基金組織(IMF)預(yù)測(cè)，2018年印度經(jīng)濟(jì)將增長(zhǎng)7.4%，2019年將增長(zhǎng)7.8%。