Dilip Ratha: The hidden force in global economics: sending money home

翻译人员: Rong Han 校对人员: Carlyle Shaw

I live in Washington, D.C.,

我住在华盛顿特区

but I grew up in Sindhekela, a village in Orissa, in India.

但我是在新河克拉， 印度奥里萨邦的一个小村庄长大。

My father was a government worker.

我父亲是个政府雇员，

My mother could not read or write, but she

我母亲不会读书写字，

would say to me, "A king is worshipped only in his

但她跟我说：“国王只有 在自己的王国里才被膜拜，

own kingdom. A poet is respected everywhere."

而诗人走到哪儿都受到尊敬。”

So I wanted to be a poet when I grew up.

所以我就想长大后成为一名诗人。

But I almost didn't go to college

但是我差点没上成大学，

until an aunt offered financial help.

直到一位姨妈出钱帮我。

I went to study in Sambalpur,

我去了萨姆巴尔普尔，

the largest town in the region,

当地最大的城镇读书。

where, already in college, I saw a television for the first time.

在那儿上大学的时候，

我才第一次看到电视。

I had dreams of going to the United States

那时我梦想去美国接受高等教育。

for higher studies.

When the opportunity came,

后来机会来了，

I crossed two oceans, with borrowed money

我借钱买了机票，横跨两个大洋，

for airfare and only a $20 bill in my pocket.

兜里装了二十元美金就来了。

In the U.S., I worked in a research center,

在美国，我一边在一家研究中心兼职，

part-time, while taking graduate classes in economics.

一边上经济学的研究生课程。

And with the little I earned, I would

虽然挣得不多，

我还是一边供自己上学，

finance myself and then I would send

一边寄钱回家给我父亲和我兄弟。

money home to my brother and my father.

My story is not unique.

我这样的绝不是唯一的。

There are millions of people who migrate each year.

每年有成百上千万的人移民。

With the help of the family, they cross oceans,

通过家人的帮助，他们跨越大洋，

they cross deserts, they cross rivers, they cross mountains.

沙漠，河流，或者山脉。

They risk their lives to realize a dream,

他们冒着生命危险去实现一个梦想。

and that dream is as simple as having a

他们的梦想很简单，就是

decent job somewhere so they can send money home

能有一份不错的工作， 让他们能寄钱回家，

and help the family,

帮助他们的家人，

which has helped them before.

那些曾帮助过他们的人。

There are 232 million international migrants in the world.

世界上有两亿三千二百万国际移民。

These are people who live in a country

他们生活在一个

other than their country of birth.

不同于他们出生地的国度。

If there was a country made up of

如果有一个国家

only international migrants,

全部由国际移民组成，

that would be larger, in population,

它的人口将超过巴西，

than Brazil.

That would be larger, in its size

它的经济实力将超过法国。

of the economy, than France.

Some 180 million of them, from poor countries,

其中一亿八千万的移民来自贫穷的国家，

send money home regularly.

他们按时寄钱回家。

Those sums of money are called remittances.

这些钱叫做移民汇款。

Here is a fact that might surprise you:

这样一个事实可能会让你大吃一惊：

413 billion dollars, 413 billion dollars

4310亿美元，

was the amount of remittances sent last year

去年一共有4310亿美元

by migrants to developing countries.

由移民们寄到发展中国家。

Migrants from developing countries,

来自发展中国家的移民，

money sent to developing countries —

寄到发展中国家的钱，

413 billion dollars.

4310亿美元。

That's a remarkable number because

这个数字相当惊人，

that is three times the size of

它等于所有发展资助资金总和的三倍。

the total of development aid money.

And yet, you and I,

但是，你，我，

my colleagues in Washington,

我在华盛顿的同事们，

we endlessly debate and

我们不停地争辩，

discuss about development aid,

讨论发展资助，

while we ignore remittances as small change.

却把移民汇款当作小钱忽略了。

True, people send 200 dollars per month,

确实，人们平均每月寄两百美元。

on average. But, repeated month after month,

但是，月复一月，

by millions of people,

成百上千万的人在寄，

these sums of money add up to rivers of foreign currency.

这些钱汇聚成一条条外币形成的河流。

So India, last year, received 72 billion dollars, larger than

印度去年收到了720亿美元，

its IT exports.

超过它的IT出口额。

In Egypt remittances are three times

埃及收到的移民汇款达到

the size of revenues from the Suez Canal.

苏伊士运河上贸易额的三倍。

In Tajikistan, remittances are 42 percent of GDP.

塔吉克斯坦， 移民汇款占GDP的42%。

And in poorer countries, smaller countries, fragile countries,

在更穷，更小，或者正发生冲突的国家，

conflict-afflicted countries, remittances are a lifeline,

移民汇款就如同救命稻草，

as in Somalia or in Haiti.

比如说在索马里或海蒂。

No wonder these flows have huge

难怪这些资金流

impacts on economies and on poor people.

会对经济和贫困人口带来巨大的影响。

Remittances, unlike private investment money,

不同于私人资助基金，

they don't flow back at the first

移民汇款不会

sign of trouble in the country.

在国家一出现问题的时候就回流。

They actually act like an insurance.

它们更像保险金。

When the family is in trouble,

当家人遇到麻烦，

facing hardship, facing hard times,

碰到问题，遇到困难的时候，

remittances increase, they act like an insurance.

它会增加，就像保险金一样，

Migrants send more money then.

移民们会寄更多的钱回去。

Unlike development aid money,

它们也不像发展资助基金，

that must go through official agencies,

那些必须经过正式的机构，

through governments, remittances

通过政府。

而移民汇款直接到达穷人手中，

directly reach the poor,

reach the family,

到达家人手中，

and often with business advice.

通常还附带着商业建议。

So in Nepal, the share of poor

在尼泊尔，

people was 42 percent in 1995,

1995年时穷人占人口总数的42%。

the share of poor people in the population.

By 2005, a decade later, at a

十年之后，2005年时，

time of political crisis, economic crisis,

当时尼泊尔正遇上政治危机，经济危机，

the share of poor people went down to 31 percent.

可是穷人的比例却降到了31%。

That decline in poverty, most of it,

贫困人口的减少，大部分，

about half of it, is believed to be

大约一半，是依靠

because of remittances from India,

从印度，另一个穷国，

another poor country.

寄来的移民汇款 。

In El Salvador, the school dropout

在萨尔瓦多，

儿童辍学率

rate among children is lower

在接受移民汇款的家庭中就比较低。

in families that receive remittances.

In Mexico and Sri Lanka,

在墨西哥和斯里兰卡

the birth weight of children is higher

儿童的出生体重

在接受移民汇款的家庭中较高。

among families that receive remittances.

Remittances are dollars wrapped with care.

移民汇款是被爱包裹的钱财。

Migrants send money home for food,

移民们寄钱回去买食物，

for buying necessities, for building houses,

买必需品，建房子，

for funding education, for funding

用于教育，老年人的医疗，

healthcare for the elderly, for business

investments for friends and family.

还有家人和朋友的商业投资。

Migrants send even more money home

遇到特殊情况， 移民们还会寄更多的钱，

for special occasions like a surgery

比如手术或婚礼。

or a wedding. And migrants also send

也许更多的时候，

money, perhaps far too many times,

遇上突如其来的葬礼，

for unexpected funerals that

他们因为无法参加而寄钱回去。

they cannot attend.

Much as these flows do all that good,

虽然这些资金流动有这么多好处，

there are barriers to these

flows of remittances, these

400 billion dollars of remittances.

阻碍这四千亿美元的流动。

Foremost among them is

最大的障碍是

the exorbitant cost of sending money home.

寄钱回家的高额费用。

Money transfer companies structure

现金传递公司收费的方式

their fees to milk the poor.

就是在压榨穷人。

They will say, "Up to 500 dollars

他们会说，五百美元以下，

if you want to send, we will charge you

我们固定收取30元的手续费。

30 dollars fixed."

If you are poor and if you have only 200 dollars to send,

如果你很穷，只能寄两百块钱，

you have to pay that $30 fee.

你也得交30元的手续费。

The global average cost of sending

寄钱的全球平均花费是8%。

money is eight percent.

That means you send 100 dollars,

也就是说你寄100块钱，

the family on the other side receives only

到了另一边你的家人只能收到

92 dollars.

92块。

To send money to Africa,

寄钱到非洲的花费就更高：

the cost is even higher:

12 percent.

12%。

To send money within Africa,

在非洲内部寄钱，

the cost is even higher:

费用还要更高：

over 20 percent.

超过20%，

For example, sending money from Benin to Nigeria.

比如从贝宁寄钱到尼日利亚。

And then there is the case of Venezuela, where,

而在委内瑞拉，

because of exchange controls,

因为货币兑换受到控制，

you send 100 dollars and you

如果你寄了100块钱，

are lucky if the family on the other side

你的家人在另一边如果

receives even 10 dollars.

能拿到10块钱就不错了。

Of course, nobody sends money to Venezuela

当然了，没人通过正式渠道往

through the official channel.

委内瑞拉寄钱。

It all goes in suitcases.

都是装在行李箱里带。

Whereever costs are high,

收费高的地方，

money goes underground.

钱都从地下走了。

And what is worse,

更糟的是，

many developing countries actually

很多发展中国家实际上

have a blanket ban on sending money

还全面禁止往国外寄钱。

out of the country.

Many rich nations also have a

很多富裕国也全面禁止

blanket ban on sending money to specific countries.

向某些国家寄钱。

So, is it that there are no options,

那是不是没有办法，

no better options, cheaper options, to send money?

更好，更便宜的办法寄钱了呢？

There are.

还是有的。

M-Pesa in Kenya enables people to send money

通过肯尼亚的M-Pesa寄钱，

手续费是固定的每笔

and receive money at a fixed cost of only

60 cents per transaction.

60美分。

U.S. Fed started a program with Mexico

美国联邦政府和墨西哥之间

启动了一个项目，

to enable money service businesses

使得汇款公司往墨西哥寄钱时

to send money to Mexico

for a fixed cost of only 67 cents per transaction.

只需要每笔67美分的手续费。

And yet, these faster, cheaper, better options

但是这些更快，更便宜，更好的办法，

can't be applied internationally

还不能在国际上通用，

because of the fear of money laundering,

因为担心被人利用来洗钱。

even though there is little data

虽然没有什么数据

to support any connection, any significant

证明这两者之间有什么联系，

connection between money laundering

就是说洗钱和小额的移民汇款之间

and these small remittance transactions.

有什么联系。

Many international banks now

很多跨国银行

are wary of hosting bank accounts

现在害怕拥有汇款公司的账户，

of money service businesses, especially

特别是那些业务涉及到

those serving Somalia.

索马里的公司。

Somalia, a country where the

索马里人均年收入

per capita income is only 250 dollars per year.

才250美元。

Monthly remittances, on average, to Somalia

按月寄往索马里的移民汇款

is larger than that amount.

平均都大于这个数。

Remittances are the lifeblood of Somalia.

移民汇款成了索马里的血脉。

And yet, this is an example of

索马里的情况就是个典型的例子，

the right hand giving a lot of aid,

一方面右手给予很多援助，

while the left hand is cutting the lifeblood

另一方面左手又通过各种条规

to that economy, through regulations.

切断它的经济血脉。

Then there is the case of poor people from villages, like me.

像我这样来自乡村的穷人 还会遇到另一个问题。

In the villages, the only place where you can

在乡村里，唯一能收到汇款的地方

get money is through the post office.

是邮局。

Most of the governments in the world

世界上多数国家的政府

have allowed their post offices to have

都允许邮局和某个汇款公司之间

exclusive partnerships with money transfer companies.

建立唯一的合作关系。

So, if I have to send money to my

所以如果我要寄钱给乡下的父亲，

father in the village, I must send money

我就必须得去

through that particular money transfer company,

特定的那一家汇款公司寄。

even if the cost is high.

即使它收费较高，

I cannot go to a cheaper option.

我也没有其它的选择。

This has to go.

这种情况必须要改变。

So, what can international organizations and

那么，国际组织和社会企业家们

social entrepreneurs do to reduce the cost

可以做些什么来降低

of sending money home?

寄钱回家的费用呢？

First, relax regulations on small remittances under 1,000 dollars.

首先，放宽关于一千美元以下的 小额移民汇款的法规，

Governments should recognize that

政府应该意识到，

small remittances are not money laundering.

小额汇款不是洗钱。

Second, governments should abolish exclusive partnerships

第二，政府应该禁止邮局和某个汇款公司

between their post office and the money transfer company.

建立唯一的合作关系。

For that matter, between the post office

最好是禁止邮局

and any national banking system that

和任何全国性的银行系统之间

has a large network that serves the poor.

建立这种关系，

In fact, they should promote competition,

实际上，他们应该鼓励竞争，

open up the partnership so that

开放合作伙伴，

we will bring down costs like we did,

这样就可以降低费用，

like they did, in the telecommunications industry.

就像电话业那样。

You have seen what has happened there.

你们都知道电话业的情况了。

Third, large nonprofit philanthropic organizations

第三，大型非营利性组织

should create a remittance platform

应该在非营利的基础上创建

on a nonprofit basis.

一个移民汇款平台。

They should create a nonprofit

他们应该创建一个非营利的

remittance platform to serve the money transfer

移民汇款平台来服务于汇款公司，

companies so that they can send money at a low cost,

使他们能降低寄钱的费用，

while complying with all the complex

同时还能不违反世界各地

regulations all over the world.

各种复杂的条规。

The development community should

发展中的社区应该朝着

set a goal of reducing remittance costs

将移民汇款费率从现在的8%降到1%

to one percent from the current eight percent.

的目标努力。

If we reduce costs to one percent,

如果我们能把费用降到1%，

that would release a saving of 30 billion dollars per year.

将每年省下300亿美元。

Thirty billion dollars, that's larger than the entire

比每年给非洲的全部

bilateral aid budget going to Africa per year.

双边资助预算还多，

That is larger than, or almost similar to,

而且也比美国政府的全部援助预算

the total aid budget of the United States government,

还多，或着几乎相当。

the largest donor on the planet.

这可是全球最大的捐助国。

Actually, the savings would be larger

实际上，省下的还不止

than that 30 billion because remittance channels

那三百亿，因为移民汇款渠道

are also used for aid, trade and investment purposes.

还可以用于救援，贸易和投资。

Another major impediment to the

另一个严重阻碍移民汇款

flow of remittances reaching the family

到达家人手中的因素，

is the large and exorbitant

是高额的非法招工费。

and illegal cost of recruitment,

fees that migrants pay, migrant workers

这些费是移民工人

pay to laborers who found them the job.

付给给他们找到工作的人的。

I was in Dubai a few years ago.

几年前我去过迪拜

I visited a camp for workers.

我去了一个劳工的营地。

It was 8 in the evening, dark, hot, humid.

那是晚上8点，又黑又湿又热，

Workers were coming back from

工人们刚刚结束了

their grueling day of work,

一天又苦又累的工作回来。

and I struck a conversation

我和一个孟加拉来的

with a Bangladeshi construction worker.

建筑工人聊了起来。

He was preoccupied that he is sending

他一心就想着寄钱回家，

money home, he has been

sending money home for a few months now,

已经寄了几个月了，

and the money is mostly going

可是钱基本上都给了

to the recruitment agent, to the labor agent

劳务介绍人，

who found him that job.

那个给他找到这份工作的人。

And in my mind, I could picture

我可以想象得到，

the wife waiting for

他的妻子

the monthly remittance.

每月盼着这笔钱。

The remittance arrives.

钱汇到了，

She takes the money and hands

她取了钱，转手就得

it over to the recruitment agent,

交给招工的人，

while the children are looking on.

而孩子们只能眼巴巴的看着。

This has to stop.

不能再这样下去了。

It is not only construction workers from Bangladesh,

这不仅仅发生在孟加拉的建筑工人身上，

it is all the workers. There are millions of migrant

而是发生在所有工人身上，

workers who suffer from this problem.

发生在成百上千万的移民工身上。

A construction worker from Bangladesh,

孟加拉的建筑工

on an average, pays about 4,000 dollars in recruitment fees

平均每人要付四千美元的找工费，

for a job that gives him only 2,000 dollars per year in income.

而这份工作每年只挣两千美元。

That means that for the two years or three years

也就是说，有两到三年的时间，

of his life, he is basically sending money

他寄回去的钱

to pay for the recruitment fees.

都只是在付招工费，

The family doesn't get to see any of it.

他的家人什么都拿不到。

It is not only Dubai, it is the dark

也不仅仅发生在迪拜，

underbelly of every major city in the world.

而是发生在全世界 每个大城市的阴暗角落里。

It is not only Bangladeshi construction workers,

不光是孟加拉的建筑工人

it is workers from all over the world.

而是全世界的工人们。

It is not only men.

也不仅仅发生在男工身上，

Women are especially vulnerable to

女工更经常成为

recruitment malpractices.

非法招工的受害者。

One of the most exciting and newest

在移民汇款领域，

thing happening in the area of remittances

最新，最令人兴奋的事

is how to mobilize, through innovation,

是创造移民们存钱和捐钱的新方式。

diaspora saving and diaspora giving.

Migrants send money home,

移民们不仅寄钱回家，

but they also save a large amount of

他们自己也存很多钱。

money where they live.

Annually, migrant savings are estimated

事实上，移民存款据估计每年

to be 500 billion dollars.

达五千亿美元。

Most of that money is parked in

大部分的钱都存在银行里，

bank deposits that give you zero percent interest rate.

挣不到半点利息。

If a country were to come and offer a three percent

如果哪个国家能为移民提供

or four percent interest rate, and then say

百分之三到四的利息，

that the money would be used for building schools,

而且说把这些钱用来

roads, airports, train systems

在他们出生的国家

修建学校，公路，机场，铁路，

in the country of origin, a lot

of migrants would be interested in

很多移民会拿钱出来的。

parting with their money because

因为对他们来说

it's not only financial gains that

不仅得到经济利益，

give them an opportunity

而且也使他们有机会

to stay engaged with their country's development.

参与他们自己国家的发展。

Remittance channels can be used

可以通过移民汇款的渠道，

to sell these bonds to migrants

把这些债券卖给移民，

because when they come

因为他们

on a monthly basis to send remittances,

每个月来寄钱的时候，

that's when you can actually sell it to them.

就正好是可以向他们出售债券的时候。

You can also do the same

也可以用同样的方法

for mobilizing diaspora giving.

来刺激移民们捐钱。

I would love to invest in a

我会非常希望可以为

bullet train system in India

在印度修建高速铁路系统投资。

and I would love to contribute to efforts

我也会非常愿意为

to fight malaria in my village.

在我们村防治疟疾投资。

Remittances are a great way of

利用移民汇款可以实现

sharing prosperity between places

目的性的资源交流，

in a targeted way that benefits

使最需要的人收益。

those who need them most.

Remittances empower people.

移民汇款是一项强大的资源。

We must do all we can to make remittances

我们应该竭尽全力使

移民汇款和海外招工

and recruitment

safer and cheaper.

更安全，更便宜。

And it can be done.

这是能实现的。

As for myself, I have been

就我而言，

away from India for two decades now.

我已经离开印度二十多年了。

My wife is a Venezuelan.

我妻子是委内瑞拉人，

My children are Americans.

孩子们是美国人。

Increasingly, I feel like a global citizen.

我越来越觉得自己是个全球公民。

And yet, I am growing nostalgic

但是，我也越来越思念

about my country of birth.

我出生的地方。

I want to be in India and in the U.S. at the same time.

我既想在印度，又想在美国。

My parents are not there anymore.

我的父母已不在了。

My brothers and sisters have moved on.

我的兄弟姐妹们也搬走了。

There is no real urgency for me to send money home.

我已经不迫切需要往家寄钱了。

And yet, from time to time,

I send money home to friends,

我会寄钱回去给朋友，

to relatives, to the village,

给亲戚，给村里，

to be there, to stay engaged —

就像我还在那里。

that's part of my identity.

它是我的一部分。

And, I'm still striving to be a poet

同时，我还在努力成为一名诗人，

for the hardworking migrants

为那些辛勤劳作的移民们，

and their struggle to break free

以及他们为摆脱贫困所做的挣扎。

of the cycle of poverty.

Thank you.

谢谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）