The Indian government says its main challenge is to return the economy to a high growth rate and reduce poverty. But the government's widening fiscal deficit and failure to announce economic reforms in its first budget since taking power has disappointed investors and stock markets.
印度政府认为，政府目前面临的最重要的挑战是让经济恢复高速增长，减少贫困。不过，政府不断扩大的财政赤字以及新政府上台以来没有能够在其第一次预算中宣布经济改革，让投资者和股票市场都感到失望。
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Monday the government wants to steer the country back to 9 percent growth "at the earliest." Presenting the annual budget, he said the government also wants to deepen and broaden the agenda for inclusive development so that there is a significant reduction in poverty.
印度财政部长普拉纳博·穆克吉星期一说，印度政府希望“尽早”让国家经济恢复到9%的年增长率。穆克吉在介绍年度预算时说，政府还希望深化综合发展计划，并使其内容更加广泛，这样才能大幅度减少贫困。
India's economy grew at nearly nine percent for five years before plummeting to 6.8 percent last year amid the global economic crisis.
印度经济在经历了五年近9%的增长之后，在全球经济危机中，去年大幅度下降到6.8%。
The minister said the economy appears to be on the path to recovery but stressed the need to remain cautious.
印度财长穆克吉表示，印度经济似乎即将开始复苏，不过他同时强调，需要继续保持谨慎。
"There are signs of revival in the domestic industry and the foreign investors have also returned to the Indian market in the last couple of months. It is possible that the two worst quarters since the global financial meltdown in September 2008 are behind us," said Mukherjee. "While the global financial conditions have shown improvement over the last few months, uncertainties relating to the revival of the global economy remain. We cannot therefore afford to drop our guard," he continued.
他说：“过去两三个月，国内工业出现了复苏的迹象，外国投资者也重新回到印度市场。2008年9月全球金融市场陷入危机以来两个最困难的季度可能已经过去。尽管过去几个月全球金融形势有所好转，但是全球经济复苏的一些不确定性仍然存在。因此我们千万不能掉以轻心。”
The first annual budget of the Congress-led government, which assumed power in May, kept the focus firmly on rural development. The government unveiled a number of plans, including expanding a rural employment program, extending loan relief programs for farmers and providing subsidized food to the poorest people in the country.
五月刚刚掌权的由国大党领导的政府提出的第一个年度财政预算继续坚定地把重点放在农村发展上。政府公布了若干项计划，包括扩大农村就业计划，延长给农民的贷款计划，以及给印度最贫穷的人提供食品补贴等。
However, the ambitious social development agenda means the government deficit, already running high, will widen further to 6.8 percent.
然而，这项雄心勃勃的社会发展规划意味着政府本已高企的财政赤字将进一步扩大，达到国内生产总值的6.8%。
Finance Minister Mukherjee said that spending will increase this year by 36 percent. He acknowledged that the high deficit needs attention.
印度财政部长穆克吉表示，今年的政府开支将增加36%。他承认需要关注高涨的预算赤字。
"This level of deficit is no doubt a matter of concern and government will address this issue in right earnest to come back to the path of fiscal consolidation at the earliest," he said.
他说：“这种程度的财政赤字无疑应该引起关注，政府会认真解决这个问题，尽早巩固财政状况。”
India's stock markets dropped more than five percent, mostly on disappointment that the government failed to announce any market-oriented reforms. The Congress-led government's decisive victory in May had raised expectations that the government would ease curbs on foreign investment and sell stakes in public sector companies to liberalize the economy.
在印度政府公布了预算计划之后，印度股市下降了5%以上，主要原因是政府没有宣布任何市场改革措施。国大党领导的政府五月赢得的决定性胜利一度提高了人们的期盼，希望政府放松对外国投资的管制和出售国营企业的股权，以促进经济的自由化。
But the government says it wants to keep the focus on what it calls the "common man" in a country where millions still live in poverty.
不过印度政府表示，希望把重点放在全国的“普通人”那里，数以百万计的“普通人”仍然过着贫困的生活。 |