新奇事件簿 沙特三倍增值税支撑经济

Saudi Arabia is going to triple the rate of the value added tax (VAT¹) it imposes on goods and services. VAT will increase from 5 per cent to 15 per cent on the 1st of July. The tax was introduced in Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2018. Government authorities say this drastic measure is necessary to curb² the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy. The cut is also part of wider austerity measures to help the economy. Finances of the oil-rich nation have been badly hit as the pandemic has seen oil prices and demand for oil plummet³. Analysts⁴ are reporting that oil revenues this year have fallen by almost a quarter when compared to the same period last year.

Another measure the finance ministry⁵ has taken in a bid to shore up the economy is the suspension of a cost of living allowance. This is a payment of about $256 per month to state employees. It was introduced to help offset⁶ rising prices and more expensive petrol at the pump. Saudi's Finance Minister said: "These measures are painful but necessary to maintain financial and economic stability over the medium to long term...and to overcome the unprecedented⁷ coronavirus crisis with the least damage possible." A Gulf⁸ expert said: "The move will impact consumption and could also lower the expected revenues. These are pro-austerity and pro-revenue moves rather than pro-growth ones."

沙特阿拉伯将对商品和服务征收三倍增值税（VAT）。从7月1日起，增值税将从5%增至15%。2018年，沙特阿拉伯首次引入增值税。政府当局表示，这项重大举措是遏制疫情对经济影响的必要之举。此举也是帮助经济的更广泛的紧缩措施之一。由于疫情导致油价和石油需求大幅下降，这个石油资源丰富的国家的财政受到严重打击。分析师报告称，本年度石油收入与去年同期相比下降近四分之一。

为支撑经济，财政部采取的另一项措施是暂停发放生活费津贴。这是每月支付给州政府雇员的约256美元。引入这项措施是为了帮助抵消价格上涨和汽油价格上涨的影响。沙特阿拉伯的财政部长说到：“采取这些措施是痛苦的，但为了维持中长期金融和经济的稳定又是必要的......并以最小的损害克服前所未有的冠状病毒危机。”海湾地区的一名专家表示：“此举将影响消费，还可能会降低预期收益。这些都是支持紧缩和增加收入的举措，而不是支持经济增长的举措。”

1 vat   

n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶

参考例句：

• The office is asking for the vat papers.办事处要有关增值税的文件。
• His father emptied sacks of stale rye bread into the vat.他父亲把一袋袋发霉的黑面包倒进大桶里。

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 plummet   

vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物

参考例句：

• Mengniu and Yili have seen their shares plummet since the incident broke.自事件发生以来，蒙牛和伊利的股票大幅下跌。
• Even if rice prices were to plummet,other brakes on poverty alleviation remain.就算大米价格下跌，其它阻止导致贫困的因素仍然存在。

4 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。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

7 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

8 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。