VOA慢速英語:Burma Places Hopes for Development in Foreign Investment

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

這里是美國之音慢速英語經(jīng)濟報道。

Burma is in a good position to make big gains in Asia's fast-growing markets. But development must include all of society and be sustainable for Burma to reach its goals.

緬甸在獲取亞洲這個快速增長市場的巨大收益方面占據(jù)了有利位置。但為了實現(xiàn)其目標，發(fā)展必須包括緬甸各階層并且可持續(xù)。

That is what the Asian Development Bank said in a recent report.

這是亞洲開發(fā)銀行在最近一份報告中提到的。

Cyn-Young Park is an economist with the bank. She says Burma's economic position is strengthened by its natural resources, such as oil, gas and minerals. It also has two large, growing neighbors: India and China. And the nation is young: one in four of its citizens are under the age of thirty.

樸信陽(Cyn-Young Park)是亞洲開發(fā)銀行的一名經(jīng)濟學家。她表示，石油，天然氣和礦產一類的自然資源強化了緬甸的經(jīng)濟地位，緬甸還有中國和印度這兩個不斷發(fā)展的龐大鄰國。同時該國比較年輕化，四分之一的國民年齡未滿30歲。

But Burma has a long way to go. After fifty years of military rule, it is one of Asia's poorest countries. Basic infrastructure, like roads, bridges and railways, are not developed. And only thirty percent of rural people have electricity.

但緬甸還有很長的路要走。經(jīng)過50年的軍人統(tǒng)治，它是亞洲最貧窮的國家之一。道路、橋梁、鐵路等基本的基礎設施沒有發(fā)展起來。同時只有30%的農村居民用上了電。

Burma is trying to increase foreign investment. Its civilian government is struggling to agree on a new foreign investment law. Recent versions of the law restrict foreign ownership in some industries and ban it completely in others.

緬甸正試圖增加外國投資。其民選政府正竭力就一項新的外國投資法上達成一致。該法律最新版本限制了外資進入一些行業(yè)，并完全禁止外資進入另一些行業(yè)。

Sean Turnell is an economist with Australia's Macquarie University. He said the foreign investment law is now facing local disapproval, or push back.

肖恩·圖內爾(Sean Turnell)是澳大利亞麥考瑞大學的經(jīng)濟學家。他說，這項外國投資法目前正面臨著當?shù)氐姆请y或倒退。

SEAN TURNELL: "There's been a bit of a push back against some of the concessions granted to foreign investors. In particular, there seems to be a walling off of some of the sectors from foreign investors."

圖內爾：“在一些授予外國投資者的特許經(jīng)營權上有一點倒退。特別是，某些行業(yè)看上去隔離了外國投資者。”

For years, Burma's military closely controlled the economy. Relatives and friends of military members received rich contracts.

多年來，緬甸軍政府嚴密控制著經(jīng)濟。軍事成員的親戚和朋友拿到了大量合同。

Now, the civilian government wants to expand services and manufacturing. It is considering giving foreign companies low tax rates so they will invest.

現(xiàn)在，民選政府想要擴大服務業(yè)和制造業(yè)。政府正考慮給予外國公司低稅率以吸引其投資。

But experts say this could be a mistake. Sean Turnell says investors are concerned about infrastructure problems, not taxes. Economists also say tax breaks for local businesses may not be the answer either. They say the lack of access to credit for farmers and businesses in Burma is a bigger problem.

但專家稱這可能是一個錯誤。圖內爾表示，外國投資者擔心基礎設施問題而不是稅收。經(jīng)濟學家還表示，對當?shù)仄髽I(yè)的稅收減免可能也不是解決辦法。他們說，農民和企業(yè)缺少獲得信貸的渠道是一個大問題。

Reform in Burma is still in the early stages. The country recently announced new rules ending direct government censorship of news media. Reporters now must send censors their work after it is published, instead of before. Some reporters say they will wait to see if this means more freedom.

緬甸的改革仍處于早期階段。該國最近宣布了終止政府直接審查新聞媒體的新規(guī)定。記者們現(xiàn)在還必須將文章提交給審查人員，只是時間從文章發(fā)表前改成了發(fā)表后。一些記者表示，他們將繼續(xù)觀望這是否意味著更多的自由。

Cyn-Young Park says investors too are waiting to see if reform will succeed.

樸信陽表示，投資者也都在觀望改革是否會成功。

CYN-YOUNG PARK: "It is really going to take a while before the investors do believe that this reform is sincere and the government is not going to retract."

樸信陽：“的確還需要一段時間投資者才能確認改革是認真的，政府不會收回改革措施。”

The foreign investment legislation could be signed into law as early as this month.

外國投資法案最早有望于本月簽署成為法律。