IMF警告可能撤銷對希臘紓困資金
Greece is so far off course on its $172bn bailout programme that it faces losing vital International Monetary Fund support unless European lenders write off significant amounts of its sovereign debt, the IMF has warned Athens’ eurozone creditors.
國際貨幣基金組織(IMF)警告希臘在歐元區的債權人稱，希臘迄今已經遠遠偏離了其1720億美元紓困計劃的軌道，以至於其面臨着失去IMF關鍵支持的風險，除非歐洲的債權人對希臘主權債務進行大幅減記。
The warning, delivered to eurozone finance ministers by Poul Thomsen, head of the fund’s European department, raises the prospect of the IMF holding back its portion of a 7.2bn tranche of bailout aid that Greece is trying to secure to avoid bankruptcy.
IMF歐洲部主管保羅•湯姆森(Poul Thomsen)向歐元區各財長傳達的此項警告，增加了IMF保留一筆總值72億歐元的紓困資金中IMF提供部分的前景。希臘正努力獲得這筆資金以避免破產。About half of the 7.2bn, which is currently the subject of intense negotiations between Athens and its creditors in Brussels-based talks that resumed yesterday, is due to come from the IMF. Without the funds, Greece is expected to run out of cash this month.
這筆72億歐元的紓困資金中約有一半應由IMF提供。在昨天恢復的在布魯塞爾舉行的磋商中，這筆資金目前是雅典及其債權人緊張談判的主題。如果沒有這筆資金，希臘預計將在本月現金告罄。
Eurozone creditors, which hold the bulk of Greek debt, are adamantly opposed to debt relief. But IMF support is crucial both to its funds and to sustaining European backing for the Greek bailout, particularly in Germany.
持有希臘大部分的債務的歐元區債權人，強烈反對債務減免。但是，IMF的支持對希臘的資金和支撐歐洲對希臘紓困的支持（特別是在德國），都至關重要。According to two officials present at a contentious meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Riga last month, Mr Thomsen said initial data the IMF had received from Greek authorities showed Athens was on track to run a primary budget deficit of as much as 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product this year.
據兩名上月出席歐元區財長在里加召開的爭論不休的會議的官員表示，湯姆森稱，IMF從希臘當局獲得的初始數據表明，今年希臘的基本預算赤字預計將達到國內生產總值(GDP)的1.5%。Under existing bailout targets, Athens was supposed to run a primary surplus — government receipts net of spending, excluding interest payments on sovereign debt — of 3 per cent of GDP in 2015.
在現有紓困目標下，2015年雅典原本應實現基本盈餘達到GDP的3%。基本盈餘是指政府收入減支出，不包括爲主權債務支付的利息。With the large surplus now turning into a sizeable deficit, Greece’s debt levels would begin to rise again, forcing Athens to take drastic austerity measures or eurozone bailout lenders to agree to debt write-offs to get Athens’ debt back on a sustainable path, the IMF believes. Officials said Mr Thomsen specifically mentioned the need for debt relief during the three-hour meeting.
IMF認爲，在大幅盈餘如今正變成大規模赤字的情況下，希臘的債務水平將會再次上升，迫使雅典方面採取嚴厲的緊縮措施，或者歐元區紓困債權人同意進行債務減記，才能讓希臘的債務重新回到可持續水平。官員稱，湯姆森在3個小時的會議中明確提到了債務減免的必要。
