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

譯者: Aaron Shoo 審譯者: Adrienne Lin

I live in Washington, D.C.,

我住在華盛頓特區。

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

但我在「辛西克拉」長大，

這是印度奧里薩邦的一個村莊。

My father was a government worker.

我爸是公務員。

My mother could not read or write, but she

我媽不識字，

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

但她告訴我：

「一個國王只受他的子民景仰，

own kingdom. A poet is respected everywhere."

但一名詩人會受眾人愛戴。」

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

所以我長大就想當詩人。

But I almost didn't go to college

但我本來上不了大學，

直到一個阿姨資助我的學費。

until an aunt offered financial help.

I went to study in Sambalpur,

我在「桑巴坡」唸書，

the largest town in the region,

那是邦裡的最大城。

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

那時，已經要上大學的我，

生平第一次看電視。

I had dreams of going to the United States

我當時還想去美國進修。

for higher studies.

When the opportunity came,

所以機會一來，

I crossed two oceans, with borrowed money

我就決定跨越兩大洋。

借錢買了機票，

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

口袋只剩一張 20 美元。

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

到了美國，

我在研究中心打工，

part-time, while taking graduate classes in economics.

同時攻讀經濟研究所。

And with the little I earned, I would

雖然賺得不多，

但扣掉自己的開銷，

finance myself and then I would send

我還寄錢回家給爸爸、弟弟。

money home to my brother and my father.

My story is not unique.

我不是特例。

There are millions of people who migrate each year.

每年有幾百萬的移工

With the help of the family, they cross oceans,

靠著家人幫忙，

橫渡海洋、穿越沙漠、

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

渡過溪流、翻過高山。

They risk their lives to realize a dream,

他們用生命實現夢想，

and that dream is as simple as having a

一個單純卑微的夢：

找份正當的工作，

decent job somewhere so they can send money home

然後寄錢回家、幫忙分擔，

and help the family,

which has helped them before.

報答家人之前的幫忙。

There are 232 million international migrants in the world.

全球有 2 億 3200 萬的移民。

他們住在出生地之外的陌生國度。

These are people who live in a country

other than their country of birth.

If there was a country made up of

如果把所有移民

only international migrants,

聚在一起變成一個國家，

that would be larger, in population,

它的人口會比巴西還多。

than Brazil.

That would be larger, in its size

就經濟規模來說，

of the economy, than France.

比法國還大。

Some 180 million of them, from poor countries,

其中 1 億 8000 萬的弱勢國移民

send money home regularly.

會固定寄錢回家鄉。

Those sums of money are called remittances.

我們統稱這些錢為「僑匯」。

Here is a fact that might surprise you:

告訴你驚人的事實：

413 billion dollars, 413 billion dollars

4130 億美元

was the amount of remittances sent last year

是去年發展中國家移民

by migrants to developing countries.

寄回家的僑匯金額。

Migrants from developing countries,

發展中國家的移工

money sent to developing countries —

把錢寄回發展中國家，

413 billion dollars.

這金額高達 4130 億美元。

That's a remarkable number because

會說「高達」是因為，

that is three times the size of

這是已開發國家給予的

the total of development aid money.

發展援助的三倍。

And yet, you and I,

但是你和我，

my colleagues in Washington,

還有我在華盛頓的同事，

we endlessly debate and

以往不斷地辯證、

discuss about development aid,

討論發展援助，

while we ignore remittances as small change.

卻忽略僑匯帶來的改變。

True, people send 200 dollars per month,

沒錯，每人平均每個月只寄 200 美元，

on average. But, repeated month after month,

但幾百萬人、月復一月地寄，

by millions of people,

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

累積成一筆可觀的外匯。

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

像印度去年，

就收到 720 億美元僑匯，

its IT exports.

比其 IT 產業的出口還要多。

In Egypt remittances are three times

在埃及，僑匯相當於

the size of revenues from the Suez Canal.

蘇伊士運河的 3 倍收入。

In Tajikistan, remittances are 42 percent of GDP.

在塔吉克，僑匯佔 GDP 的 42%。

And in poorer countries, smaller countries, fragile countries,

在更窮的、更小、更脆弱、

conflict-afflicted countries, remittances are a lifeline,

受戰亂摧殘的國家，僑匯是命脈，

as in Somalia or in Haiti.

像是索馬利亞或海地。

No wonder these flows have huge

怪不得這股錢潮

對經濟和窮人有這麼大的影響。

impacts on economies and on poor people.

Remittances, unlike private investment money,

僑匯和私人投資不一樣，

they don't flow back at the first

它不會因為國家發生問題

sign of trouble in the country.

就停止流入；

They actually act like an insurance.

反而比較像保險。

When the family is in trouble,

如果家裡有困難，

facing hardship, facing hard times,

碰到瓶頸、遇到難關，

remittances increase, they act like an insurance.

僑匯還會增加，像保險一樣；

Migrants send more money then.

移民寄更多錢回家。

Unlike development aid money,

跟發展援助不一樣，

that must go through official agencies,

它不必透過公家單位、政府。

through governments, remittances

僑匯直接送到窮人手中、

directly reach the poor,

reach the family,

送到家戶手中，

and often with business advice.

通常移工還教家人怎麼運用。

So in Nepal, the share of poor

在尼泊爾，

1995 年窮人佔 42%，

people was 42 percent in 1995,

the share of poor people in the population.

是窮人在總人口的比例。

By 2005, a decade later, at a

10 年後的 2005 年，

time of political crisis, economic crisis,

當政治、經濟危機四起，

the share of poor people went down to 31 percent.

窮人比例降到 31%。

That decline in poverty, most of it,

貧窮比例下降，很大一部份，

about half of it, is believed to be

至少一半以上歸功於

because of remittances from India,

來自印度或其他地方的僑匯。

another poor country.

In El Salvador, the school dropout

在薩爾瓦多，

收到僑匯的家庭，

rate among children is lower

學童輟學率比較低。

in families that receive remittances.

In Mexico and Sri Lanka,

在墨西哥和斯里蘭卡，

the birth weight of children is higher

收到僑匯的家庭，

嬰兒出生體重比較高。

among families that receive remittances.

Remittances are dollars wrapped with care.

僑匯飽含著關懷。

Migrants send money home for food,

移工想讓家人買食物、

for buying necessities, for building houses,

買生活必需品、蓋房子，

for funding education, for funding

讓小孩子受教育、

healthcare for the elderly, for business

讓老人家看醫生、

investments for friends and family.

投資家人朋友做生意。

Migrants send even more money home

移工會為特殊情況寄更多錢回家，

for special occasions like a surgery

例如手術或婚禮。

or a wedding. And migrants also send

移工還會在更多時候，

money, perhaps far too many times,

為突如其來的葬禮寄錢回家，

for unexpected funerals that

彌補他們缺席的遺憾。

they cannot attend.

Much as these flows do all that good,

僑匯能帶來以上的效益，

there are barriers to these

但僑匯還是會受到限制，

flows of remittances, these

400 billion dollars of remittances.

限制這 4000 億美元的流動。

Foremost among them is

其中最主要的，

the exorbitant cost of sending money home.

是昂貴的寄送費用。

Money transfer companies structure

轉匯公司訂出高價

their fees to milk the poor.

去壓榨窮人。

They will say, "Up to 500 dollars

他們會說：「交易低於 500 美元，

if you want to send, we will charge you

如果要寄的話，固定收 30 美元。」

30 dollars fixed."

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

如果你就是窮，只有 200 美元要寄，

you have to pay that $30 fee.

你就要付 30 塊的手續費。

The global average cost of sending

全球平均的轉匯費用是 8%。

money is eight percent.

That means you send 100 dollars,

也就是如果你寄 100 塊，

the family on the other side receives only

遠鄉的家人只會收到 92 塊。

92 dollars.

To send money to Africa,

如果是寄到非洲，

the cost is even higher:

收費更高，12%。

12 percent.

To send money within Africa,

非洲國家間互寄

the cost is even higher:

收費還要再高，

over 20 percent.

達 20% 以上。

For example, sending money from Benin to Nigeria.

比如說從貝南寄到奈及利亞。

And then there is the case of Venezuela, where,

如果是委內瑞拉，

because of exchange controls,

因為外幣交易管制，

you send 100 dollars and you

寄 100 塊然後夠幸運的話，

are lucky if the family on the other side

你的家人可能還能收到 10 塊。

receives even 10 dollars.

Of course, nobody sends money to Venezuela

理所當然，沒人用官方管道

through the official channel.

寄錢到委內瑞拉。

It all goes in suitcases.

都是偷偷裝皮箱運進去。

Whereever costs are high,

只要官方收費高，

money goes underground.

大家就走後門。

And what is worse,

更糟的是，

many developing countries actually

很多開發中國家其實

have a blanket ban on sending money

明文禁止私自匯錢到國外。

out of the country.

Many rich nations also have a

很多富裕國家也明文禁止

blanket ban on sending money to specific countries.

把錢匯到特定國家。

So, is it that there are no options,

所以真的別無選擇嗎？

no better options, cheaper options, to send money?

沒有更好、更便宜的方式轉匯？

There are.

有。

M-Pesa in Kenya enables people to send money

肯亞的 M-Pesa 公司讓大家

and receive money at a fixed cost of only

無論匯出或匯入，

每筆交易固定收 60 分。

60 cents per transaction.

U.S. Fed started a program with Mexico

美國聯準會和墨西哥合作，

to enable money service businesses

讓貨幣服務企業

to send money to Mexico

轉匯到墨西哥可以用

for a fixed cost of only 67 cents per transaction.

每筆交易固定收 67 分的費用。

And yet, these faster, cheaper, better options

然而，這些更快、更便宜、更好的方式，

can't be applied internationally

還是沒辦法普及到全球。

because of the fear of money laundering,

因為難免有洗錢的嫌疑。

even though there is little data

儘管沒什麼資料可以證明，

to support any connection, any significant

任何關聯、顯著的關聯，

connection between money laundering

說明洗錢和這些小額僑匯有關。

and these small remittance transactions.

Many international banks now

現在很多跨國銀行

are wary of hosting bank accounts

留意到貨幣服務戶頭這塊業務，

of money service businesses, especially

特別是在索馬利亞。

those serving Somalia.

Somalia, a country where the

索馬利亞的人均收入

per capita income is only 250 dollars per year.

是每年 250 美元。

一年才 250 美元喔！

Monthly remittances, on average, to Somalia

每個月匯入的平均僑匯

is larger than that amount.

遠遠超過那個數字。

Remittances are the lifeblood of Somalia.

僑匯是索馬利亞的命脈。

And yet, this is an example of

但這就是一個例子：

the right hand giving a lot of aid,

人前說要幫助他們，

while the left hand is cutting the lifeblood

人後卻用管制的大刀，

to that economy, through regulations.

切斷經濟活動的動脈。

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

或是像我這種鄉下來的窮人，

In the villages, the only place where you can

在小村子，

get money is through the post office.

能領到錢的地方只有郵局。

Most of the governments in the world

世界上大多數政府，

have allowed their post offices to have

都會允許郵局

exclusive partnerships with money transfer companies.

和轉匯公司有專屬合作關係。

So, if I have to send money to my

所以若我想寄錢給鄉下的爸爸，

father in the village, I must send money

我只能去找那間轉匯公司，

through that particular money transfer company,

even if the cost is high.

就算它收費很高。

I cannot go to a cheaper option.

我沒得選。

This has to go.

這必須要改變。

So, what can international organizations and

所以國際組織和

social entrepreneurs do to reduce the cost

社會企業要怎麼做，

of sending money home?

才能改善這個現象呢？

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

首先，

放鬆千元以下的小額僑匯管制。

Governments should recognize that

政府應該要認知到

small remittances are not money laundering.

小額僑匯不是洗錢。

Second, governments should abolish exclusive partnerships

其次，

政府應該要取消

郵局和特定業者的壟斷合作。

between their post office and the money transfer company.

For that matter, between the post office

如此一來，

郵局和其他大銀行的合作網路

and any national banking system that

has a large network that serves the poor.

才更能服務貧窮人口。

In fact, they should promote competition,

事實上，應該增加競爭，

open up the partnership so that

創造更多合作可能，

we will bring down costs like we did,

才能讓成本下降，

like they did, in the telecommunications industry.

就像現在的電信業服務。

You have seen what has happened there.

大家都親身體驗到了。

Third, large nonprofit philanthropic organizations

第三點，大型非營利慈善機構

should create a remittance platform

應該在非營利的基礎上，

on a nonprofit basis.

設立僑匯平台。

They should create a nonprofit

創立非營利的僑匯平台，

remittance platform to serve the money transfer

幫忙轉匯公司。

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

才能以較低的費用提供服務，

while complying with all the complex

同時也符合各國間複雜的規定。

regulations all over the world.

The development community should

已開發國家也應該

set a goal of reducing remittance costs

設立減少轉匯費用的目標：

to one percent from the current eight percent.

從現在的 8% 到 1%。

If we reduce costs to one percent,

如果能降到 1%，

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

每年就能多出 300 億美元。

Thirty billion dollars, that's larger than the entire

300 億美元比他們每年

bilateral aid budget going to Africa per year.

給非洲的雙邊援助還要多。

That is larger than, or almost similar to,

至少相等甚至超過

the total aid budget of the United States government,

全球最大的金援國，

the largest donor on the planet.

美國政府的援助預算。

Actually, the savings would be larger

事實上不只多 300 億，

than that 30 billion because remittance channels

因為僑匯的管道

are also used for aid, trade and investment purposes.

也會用做援助、貿易和投資用途。

Another major impediment to the

另一個影響

flow of remittances reaching the family

僑匯送達家戶的主要障礙，

is the large and exorbitant

是為數眾多、高昂、非法的

and illegal cost of recruitment,

仲介代辦費，

fees that migrants pay, migrant workers

移工會付錢給仲介，

pay to laborers who found them the job.

讓他們幫忙介紹工作。

I was in Dubai a few years ago.

我幾年前在杜拜，

I visited a camp for workers.

探視一個移工營。

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

晚上 8 點，裡面又暗又熱又濕。

Workers were coming back from

工人們才剛卸下

their grueling day of work,

一整天工作的勞頓。

and I struck a conversation

我和一個孟加拉來的

with a Bangladeshi construction worker.

建築工人聊天。

He was preoccupied that he is sending

他來工作就打算要寄錢回家。

money home, he has been

sending money home for a few months now,

他已經一連寄好幾個月了，

and the money is mostly going

然後大部分的錢

to the recruitment agent, to the labor agent

都付給帶他來杜拜和

who found him that job.

幫他找工作的仲介。

And in my mind, I could picture

我腦海中可以想像，

the wife waiting for

他每個月等著錢的妻子。

the monthly remittance.

The remittance arrives.

當錢寄到家，

She takes the money and hands

她拿著領到的錢交給仲介，

it over to the recruitment agent,

while the children are looking on.

然後孩子在旁邊目睹一切。

This has to stop.

這必須停止。

It is not only construction workers from Bangladesh,

不只是孟加拉來的建築工人，

it is all the workers. There are millions of migrant

是對所有工人。

有數百萬的移工正面臨這種處境。

workers who suffer from this problem.

A construction worker from Bangladesh,

孟加拉來的建築工人，

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

每人平均要付 4000 美元仲介費，

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

但他一年只賺 2000 美元。

That means that for the two years or three years

意思就是生命中有兩三年，

of his life, he is basically sending money

基本上就是寄錢回家，

to pay for the recruitment fees.

直接付給仲介。

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

家人連錢的影子都看不到。

It is not only Dubai, it is the dark

不只在杜拜，這是全球各大都市

underbelly of every major city in the world.

不能明說的苦。

It is not only Bangladeshi construction workers,

不專屬孟加拉建築工人，

it is workers from all over the world.

是全球移工共同的難題。

It is not only men.

也不只是男人。

Women are especially vulnerable to

女性更容易受仲介歪風迫害。

recruitment malpractices.

One of the most exciting and newest

僑匯領域一個最鼓舞人心、

最新的發展，

thing happening in the area of remittances

is how to mobilize, through innovation,

是如何用創新科技，

diaspora saving and diaspora giving.

動員僑民儲蓄和捐贈。

Migrants send money home,

移工要寄錢回家，

but they also save a large amount of

但他們也會在

money where they live.

自己工作的地點儲蓄。

Annually, migrant savings are estimated

每年移工的儲蓄，

to be 500 billion dollars.

估計有 5000 億美元。

Most of that money is parked in

但大多都存在

bank deposits that give you zero percent interest rate.

幾乎零利率的戶頭。

If a country were to come and offer a three percent

如果有個國家決定

提供 3% 到 4% 的利率，

or four percent interest rate, and then say

that the money would be used for building schools,

然後把錢用在投資他們母國

蓋學校、鋪路、建機場、修鐵路，

roads, airports, train systems

in the country of origin, a lot

很多移工一定會

of migrants would be interested in

樂於貢獻自己的一分力，

parting with their money because

it's not only financial gains that

因為他們貢獻的

give them an opportunity

不只是錢，

to stay engaged with their country's development.

還幫助了家鄉的發展。

Remittance channels can be used

僑匯的管道還可以

to sell these bonds to migrants

販售債券給移工。

because when they come

因為他們每個月

on a monthly basis to send remittances,

都會來匯錢，

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

所以剛好可以推銷給他們。

You can also do the same

同時也可以宣傳僑民捐獻。

for mobilizing diaspora giving.

I would love to invest in a

我很想投資印度的

bullet train system in India

子彈列車系統，

and I would love to contribute to efforts

我也很想在故鄉的

to fight malaria in my village.

瘧疾防治上盡一份心力。

Remittances are a great way of

僑匯是一個好方法，

sharing prosperity between places

讓兩地之間共享繁榮；

in a targeted way that benefits

藉由針對性的協助

those who need them most.

幫助最需要的人。

Remittances empower people.

僑匯給人力量。

We must do all we can to make remittances

我們要盡力讓僑匯和仲介，

and recruitment

safer and cheaper.

更安全、成本更低。

And it can be done.

我相信這可行。

As for myself, I have been

拿我來說，

away from India for two decades now.

我離開印度有 20 年了。

My wife is a Venezuelan.

我妻子是委內瑞拉人。

My children are Americans.

我的孩子是美國人。

Increasingly, I feel like a global citizen.

我逐漸覺得我就是全球公民。

And yet, I am growing nostalgic

但是我對家鄉的思念

about my country of birth.

更加濃烈。

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

我好想同時在印度又在美國。

My parents are not there anymore.

我父母已經不在了。

My brothers and sisters have moved on.

我的手足也都過得不錯。

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

我沒有迫切需要寄錢回家。

And yet, from time to time,

然而我三不五時，

I send money home to friends,

還是會寄一點給朋友、

to relatives, to the village,

給親戚、給我的村莊。

to be there, to stay engaged —

就像我還是那裡的一份子，

that's part of my identity.

這是我認同的一部分。

And, I'm still striving to be a poet

當然我還是想當詩人，

for the hardworking migrants

寫下那些辛苦的移工，

and their struggle to break free

想擺脫代代貧困的掙扎。

of the cycle of poverty.

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）