OECD Adds to Grim Global Growth Forecast
VOA News｜EUROPE
June 08, 2022 11:27 AM (source)
OECD Adds to Grim Global Growth Forecast
經合組織（OECD）預測 2023 年全球經濟成長仍低迷
June 08, 2022 11:27 AM
Lisa Bryant
VOA News 搶先看
經濟合作暨發展組織（OECD）大幅下修全球經濟成長率至 3%，並預估 2023 年仍會持續低迷。經合組織秘書長馬賽爾斯．科爾曼（Mathias Cormann）指出，俄烏戰爭讓原本已因疫情重挫的經濟雪上加霜，衰退及高通膨的情形將持續更久，供應鏈中斷的惡化也導致能源和糧食價格有顯著波動。經合組織的首席經濟學家勞倫斯．布恩（Laurence Boone）示警，戰爭造成的糧食短缺問題亦會波及非洲及中東國家，並可能引發飢荒和政經情勢動盪，故發展綠能為當務之急，才能終止對俄羅斯化石燃料的依賴。
The Ukraine war and COVID-19's continued fallout delivered more grim economic news Wednesday, with the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development sharply lowering its global growth forecast and predicting rising inflation. The poorest people and countries may suffer the most.
The OECD slashed its global growth forecast to 3% this year — down from 4.5% the organization predicted only a few months ago. It estimates growth will slow even further in 2023.
The main culprit: Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"As a result of Russia's war, global growth will be lower, and inflation will be higher for longer," said OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann. "Both business investment and private consumption growth have been hit, and the war has further exacerbated supply chain disruptions previously brought on by the pandemic, which is pushing up energy and food prices and causing significant price volatility.”
Representing 38 mostly developed countries, the OECD predicts the U.S. and Eurozone economies will grow by just 2.5% and 2.6% respectively this year — also down sharply from earlier forecasts.
Even China, handicapped by zero-COVID policies and vaccine shortages, will see its economy growing just 4.4% in 2022, compared to a previously forecasted 5.1%. Its slowdown is expected to put a further brake on global growth.
But the OEC's chief economist Laurence Boone says the world's poorest countries are the biggest worry.
"We're very concerned about the food situation in low-income countries. The war is really sending shockwaves all the way to Africa and the Middle East," she said.
Many of these countries depend on wheat from Ukraine and Russia to feed their people.
"The war could spark starvation. It could cause social unrest and political turmoil," she said.
The OECD's forecast follows equally dark global outlooks by both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The Paris-based body advises a raft of measures to turn around the trajectory, including more aid to developing countries and more global cooperation. Also key: investing in green energy to end dependence on countries like Russia, a key exporter of fossil fuels.
Language Notes
註 1：fallout ：於本文為名詞，意指不良影響；惡果
註 2：slash ：於本文為動詞，意指大幅削減；大幅減少（金錢、工作等）
註 3：culprit ：於本文為名詞，意指問題的起因；罪魁禍首
註 4：exacerbate ：於本文為動詞，意指使惡化；使加重；使加劇
註 5：volatility ：於本文為名詞，意指不穩定；波動
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Check your comprehension!
Choose the BEST answer to each of the questions below. After you finish, highlight the parentheses to reveal the hidden answers.
1. ( C ) According to the article, which country plays a key role in the global economic climate?
(A) France
(B) America
(C) China
(D) South Africa
2. ( B ) The word "raft" in the final paragraph is closest in meaning to __________.
(A) majority
(B) bunch
(C) vessel
(D) cluster
3. ( D ) Which of the following might NOT be a possible scenario of the world economic outlook in 2023?
(A) Surge in wheat flour prices
(B) Downturn in global trade
(C) The development of renewable energy
(D) The increase in global supply chains
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