委內瑞拉黃金儲備降至創紀錄低點
Venezuela’s gold reserves have plunged to their lowest level on record after it sold $1.7bn of the precious metal in the first quarter of the year to repay debts. The country is grappling with an economic crisis that has left it struggling to feed its population.
委內瑞拉黃金儲備暴降至創紀錄低點，原因是該國在今年第一季度爲償還債務出售了17億美元黃金。該國正在竭力應對一場經濟危機，這場危機已使該國到了難以供養其全部人口的地步。
The Opec member’s gold reserves have dropped almost a third over the past year and it sold over 40 tonnes in February and March, according to IMF data. Gold now makes up almost 70 per cent of the country’s total reserves, which fell to a low of $12.1bn last week.
根據國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)的數據，過去一年這個歐佩克(Opec)成員國的黃金儲備減少了近三分之一，2月份和3月份該國出售了逾40噸黃金。目前，黃金佔該國外匯儲備的將近70%。上週，該國外匯儲備降至121億美元的低點。
Venezuela has larger crude reserves than Saudi Arabia but has been hard hit by years of mismanagement and, more recently, depressed prices for oil. Oil accounts for 95 per cent of its export earnings. Despite the recent price rebound, declining oil output is likely to take a further toll on the economy.
委內瑞拉的原油儲量比沙特阿拉伯還大，但多年的管理不善及近期的油價低迷沉重打擊了該國。石油佔該國出口收入的95%。儘管最近油價出現反彈，但該國石油產量的不斷下滑很可能會進一步拖累其經濟。
The IMF forecasts the economy will shrink 8 per cent this year, and 4.5 per cent in 2017, after a 5.7 per cent contraction in 2015. Inflation is forecast to exceed 1,642 per cent next year, fuelled by printing money to fund a fiscal deficit estimated at about 17 per cent of gross domestic product.
IMF預計，繼2015年萎縮5.7%之後，今年委內瑞拉經濟將萎縮8%，2017年將萎縮4.5%。受印鈔填補財政赤字驅動，明年該國的通脹率預計會超過1642%。據估計，委內瑞拉的財政赤字約爲國內生產總值(GDP)的17%。
Venezuela began selling its gold reserves in March 2015, according to IMF data. At roughly 367 tonnes, Venezuela has the world’s 16th-biggest gold reserves, according to the World Gold Council. In contrast, China and Russia both added to their gold holdings this year, the data show.
根據IMF的數據，委內瑞拉是2015年3月開始出售其黃金儲備的。根據世界黃金協會(World Gold Council)的數據，委內瑞拉黃金儲備約爲367噸，居全球第16位。與之形成對比的是，數據顯示中國和俄羅斯今年都增持了黃金。
Venezuela and its national oil company PDVSA have some $6bn to repay in principal and interest payments this year, according to Russ Dallen of investment bank Caracas Capital Markets.
投行加拉加斯資本市場(Caracas Capital Markets)的拉斯•達倫(Russ Dallen)稱，今年委內瑞拉及國有的委內瑞拉國家石油公司(PDVSA)應償付本息約爲60億美元。
Seeking to reassure investors this month, Miguel Pérez Abad, Venezuela’s economic tsar, told news agencies that the country has reached a deal with its main financier China to extend loans, and that he would further cut imports — even if shortages of basic goods are ravaging the country.
本月，爲了讓投資者放心，委內瑞拉主管經濟的官員米格爾•佩雷斯•阿瓦德(Miguel Pérez Abad)向新聞機構表示該國已同主要資金提供者中國達成貸款展期協議，並稱他會進一步減少委內瑞拉的進口——儘管基本物資短缺正對該國造成嚴重破壞。
