VOA慢速英语2015 印度尼西亚将成为亚洲下一个万亿美元经济体

AS IT IS 2015-04-20 Indonesia Expected to Become Asia’s Next Trillion Dollar Economy 印度尼西亚将成为亚洲下一个万亿美元经济体

The World Economic Forum¹ on East Asia is taking place this weekend in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. IHS Global Insight studies economic conditions around the world. The company believes that, in two years, Indonesia will become Asia’s latest trillion-dollar economy. Its reason: a jump in the gross domestic product or GDP, the total value of goods and services produced within a country.

IHS Global Insight predicts that by 2023, Indonesia’s GDP will double to two trillion dollars. It also thinks Indonesia’s GDP will rise to three trillion dollars by 2028.

The company expects Indonesia will have a larger gross domestic product than Russia by 2021. It says Indonesia’s expanding middle class will make the country the largest market for consumer goods in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

IHS Global Insight chief economist² Rajiv Biswas spoke³ with VOA’s Victor Beattie about Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi. Mr. Biswas noted⁴ how the president launched a major program to improve his country’s power supplies, roads and other infrastructure⁵.

“That has been very much part of his election platform, and in his early months of office, it’s clear that he has a strong focus on that. And that is something that Indonesia very much needs. Indonesia is one of the Asian economies that is relatively⁶ underdeveloped in terms of infrastructure.”          

Rajiv Biswas says the spending on ports, roads and public services will help to fuel Indonesia’s economic growth. The current growth rate is five percent a year. But it was about six and one-half percent a few years ago. Mr. Biswas says the government debt to GDP rate is low for Indonesia when compared to past rates. He says the former government did a very good job in reducing government debt levels.

Early in his administration, President Joko Widodo announced cuts in government fuel subsidies⁷. For years the Indonesian government had used public spending to keep fuel prices low. The decision to cut subsidies was unpopular, but Rajiv Biswas says, it helped the economy.

“The fuel subsidy⁸ reform was very, very important because it was a heavy drain on their government expenditure⁹ in a rather unproductive form of just giving fuel subsidies to the entire population … They will also be able to divert a lot of that money that would have been spending on fuel subsidies, towards infrastructure development, which is much more productive in the long-term for the economy.”

Rajiv Biswas says automobile¹¹ sales have jumped over the past five to seven years because of a rise in pay among Indonesia’s middle class. He expects to see a pick-up in auto¹⁰ sales if the economy can grow at a rate of six to seven percent a year.

He adds that Indonesia still rates low on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. He says the country needs to increase manufacturing exports and create jobs.

IHS Global Insight reports that more than two million young people are joining the Indonesian labor¹² force each year. It says continued job growth is necessary to avoid the risk of social unrest.

Yet the company estimates total per person GDP in Indonesia will rise from $3,400 this year to around $8,700 by 2025. It says this might give the Indonesian government a greater voice in international financial organizations and possibly the group of five nations known as BRICS. The five are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Words in this Story

weekend – n. the end of the week; usually Saturday or Sunday

domestic – adj. relating to or made in your own country

consumer – adj. relating to one’s use of goods or products

infrastructure – n. required equipment or structures for an area (such as roads, bridges, power supplies and/or public services)

subsidies – n. financial assistance, usually paid by a government, to keep prices low

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 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。

6 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

7 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》

8 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

9 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

10 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

11 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。