巴西宣布削减开支和开征新税

AS IT IS 2015-09-19 Brazil Announces Spending Cuts, New Taxes 巴西宣布削减开支和开征新税

President Dilma Rouseff speaks about proposed budget cuts in Brasilia. The government is seeking to reduce a deficit¹ in the 2016 budget. The government has also proposed tax increases on financial transactions. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Brazil is seeking to reduce a budget deficit that led to a drop in the country’s credit rating last week.

On Monday, the government announced spending cuts and tax increases totaling almost $17 billion. The government said it plans to bring back the CPMF, a tax on financial transactions. The government hopes to raise more than $8 billion next year if Congress accepts the tax. However, many lawmakers oppose the measure.

Other proposed cuts would reduce government aid for farmers, infrastructure² improvements and pay for government employees. Public health and low-cost housing programs could also face cuts. The government reduced tax subsidies³ for the chemical industry. It also reduced aid for exporters of manufactured goods and raised taxes on capital gains, profits from sales of investments.

The most recent measures are meant to cut a deficit in the budget next year. Brazil’s economy has shrunk for the past six months. That means its economy is in recession.

At the same time, President Dilma Rousseff has experienced a drop in popularity. Opposition⁴ members in Congress dismissed the cost-cutting measures as too little. Some are calling for the president to resign.

The Reuters news service reports that economists⁵ have say the expected savings⁶ look promising⁷. However, it remains⁸ unclear if the measures will clear Congress without amendments⁹. The speaker of Brazil’s lower house of Congress, Eduardo Cunha, said the president’s administration lacked the support needed in Congress to approve the proposed return of the CPMF tax.

The head of the Brazilian Senate, Renan Calheiros, said deeper cuts were needed to reduce the size of the federal government before Congress will agree to more taxes.

Government officials also say 10 ministries¹⁰ will be closed to save money.

The proposed reduction in public health and housing spending will be difficult for supporters of President Rousseff. Her Workers’ Party has resisted cuts to social programs.

Predictions of a big budget deficit in 2016 caused Brazil to lose its high credit rating last week. The rating agency Standard & Poor’s no longer considers the country’s credit rating as investment grade.

The downgrade means some foreign investment funds and other large investors¹¹ may be forced to sell Brazilian government bonds. However, the value of Brazilian money, the real, increased on news of the cost cutting measures to reduce the deficit.

Words in This Story

transactions – n. a business deal; an event in which goods, services, or money are passed from one person or account to another

subsidies – n. money paid, usually by a government, to keep the price of a product or service low or to help a business organization to continue

capital gains – n. profits from the sale of some form of investment

funds – n. investments that use money from many investors to buy securities which are held in a fund which issues shares

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

7 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

10 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

11 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会