2006年VOA标准英语-India's Liberalization of Retail Sector St

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
29 January 2006

President Microsoft International Jean-Philipppe Courtois, left, Managing Director Microsoft India Neelam Dhawan, center, and Chief Operating Officer of Infosys Technologies S. Gopalakrishnan, pose in front of the newly inaugurated 'Catalytic IT Concept Center' in Bangalore (File photo -Nov. 29, 2005)  
  
The Indian government has decided¹ to liberalize the country's retail² sector³ slightly, by allowing foreign companies to own stores that sell single-brand products. India's fast-growing retail market remains⁴ largely closed to foreign investment.

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Brand names such as Nike, Adidas and Reebok have been sold in India for many years through franchisees⁵, because India has strict barriers on foreigners owning retail businesses.

Now, the government says it will allow foreign companies that sell single brands to own up to 51 percent of a retail shop or chain. However, foreigners are still barred from owning stores that sell multiple brands.

Arpita Mukherjee of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations says the government's move to allow foreign direct investment, or FDI, in retail businesses is only a tiny start.

"We are coming from a situation where FDI is not allowed in retail to a situation, at least in one area, it is being allowed," she said. "So however small it may be, it is a step in the right direction."

The government says the new measure is aimed at attracting investment and technology into India's $250-billion retail market. The market is the eighth largest in the world, but is dominated by small businesses that are often out-dated and inefficiently⁶ run.

Analysts⁷ say the retail sector will need to be opened up on a much larger scale before Indian industry and consumers can benefit from modern retail and distribution systems.

Many economists⁸ and Western governments have been urging India to open up its retail sector. But communist allies of the government have blocked any such move, because they fear it may force the closure of many of the nearly 15 million small mom-and-pop stores across the country.

The head of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Sitarram Yechury, has said that left-wing parties will continue to oppose any further liberalization of the sector, which sustains more than 40 million jobs.

"We are opposed to foreign capital entering your retail trade sector," said Yechury. "And our opposition⁹ is based on the fact that the retail sector in India today, contributes very significantly to …your employment."

Some of the world's biggest retailers¹⁰, such as U.S.-based Wal-Mart, are eying the Indian market. The retail sector is growing at about 20 percent a year, in a country where two-thirds of the billion-plus population is under 35, and where an increasingly affluent¹¹ middle class is shopping like never before.

Domestic firms have already stepped up investment in the sector, and more and more professionally managed chain stores are opening in Indian cities.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

4 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。

5 franchisees   

n.特许经营人( franchisee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Works on these franchisees' facilities were moving ahead rapidly. 这些专营设施的工程正迅速推展。 来自互联网
• Another good source of information about a franchise is other franchisees. 另一个了解特许经营的可靠信息源是其他经营者。 来自互联网

6 inefficiently   

adv.无效率地

参考例句：

• The small family farm is steeped in inefficiently and struggles just to survive. 小农场主陷于无效率的境况中，只为生存下去而苦苦挣扎。 来自辞典例句
• You can't afford to run businesses inefficiently in this day and age. 在现今，经营商店无能是不行的。 来自互联网

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 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》

9 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。

10 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

11 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。