世行鍼對中國10億美元貸款展開內查
The World Bank has launched an investigation into its handling of a $1bn loan from China after the bank’s treasurer queried whether the process may have violated bank rules.
世界銀行(World Bank)已針對其如何處置一筆來自中國的10億美元貸款發起了內部調查。此前，世行司庫對處置流程是否違反行規提出了質疑。External lawyers have been hired to lead the probe into the transaction, which was endorsed by the chief financial officer, and the outcome is due to be handed to the bank’s leadership this week. In a note to staff on Tuesday Jim Yong Kim, the president, said “there has been no suggestion of any staff misconduct”.
世行聘請了多名外部律師協同調查，調查結果將在本週內提交給世行領導層。爭議交易是由世行首席財務官批准的。世行行長金墉(Jim Yong Kim)週二在一份至員工報告中表示，“目前沒有跡象表明任何員工存在不當行爲”。
The controversy pits Bertrand Badré, the World Bank’s chief financial officer whose generous bonus had angered staff , against the bank’s treasurer, Madelyn Antoncic.
這場爭議讓世行首席財務官伯特蘭•巴德雷(Bertrand Badré)與該行司庫馬德林•安東西奇(Madelyn Antoncic)針鋒相對。此前，巴德雷的高額獎金惹惱了世行員工。
At question is how the bank processed a $1bn loan from China in 2013 that came as part of the World Bank’s regular fundraising for the International Development Association, the fund used to back its work with poor countries.
引發爭議的，是世行對2013年從中國獲得的一筆10億美元貸款的處置方式。這筆貸款是世行定期爲國際開發協會(IDA)融資時獲得的，用於支持該協會對窮國的扶貧工作。The transaction was one of five low-interest loans given by donors to the IDA.
這10億美元是捐贈機構向國際開發協會提供的五筆低息貸款之一。But rather than simply take $1bn into the fund, the arrangement with Beijing included a complex transaction with the International Finance Corporation, the bank’s private sector arm. The IFC since 2012 has been led by Jin-Yong Cai, a Chinese national who once led Goldman Sachs’ operations in China.
但是，這筆資金並未直接注入扶貧基金。世行與北京方面的協議包含了一項涉及世行私營部門機構——國際金融公司(IFC)的交易。自2012年以來，國際金融公司一直由中國公民蔡金勇(Jin-Yong Cai)領導。蔡金勇曾經擔任高盛(Goldman Sachs)中國區業務負責人。According to bank officials, because China did not have the right mechanism in place to make its own concessional loans its $1bn loan was made at market rates. But Beijing also gave a $300m grant to the bank on top of the $1bn to help reduce the World Bank’s borrowing costs.
銀行高管稱，因爲中國沒有提供優惠貸款的適當機制，所以這筆貸款是以市場價格提供的。但除10億美元之外，北京方面還向世行贈予3億美元，以幫助世行降低借款成本。With those funds the IDA bought a $1.179bn bond from the IFC that ensured the loan from China would be repaid over 25 years.
國際開發協會用這些資金向國際金融公司購買了11.79億美元債券，以確保能在25年內向中國償清貸款。That transaction prompted Ms Antoncic and her staff to raise questions about its structure and whether the approval process had been proper.
世行司庫安東西奇及其下屬對這筆交易的結構以及審批流程是否正當提出了質疑。A senior official said the World Bank had brought in outside lawyers to look at the case because it involved two internal units and questions over its processes.
一名世行高管表示，因此事涉及到兩個內部部門，以及世行流程引發的質疑，世行已聘請外部律師調查此事。Mr Badré was involved because “he is the person that ultimately approved that transaction”.
巴德雷被牽扯進來，是因爲“他是該交易的最終審批者”。“Nobody has raised any issues of misconduct nor has anyone raised any issues about preferential treatment for China,” the official said.
“沒有人針對任何人提出行事不當的指控，也沒有人質疑中國方面是否獲得了特惠待遇，”上述高管表示。“Nobody is questioning that China in any way acted in bad faith or is benefiting from this transaction . . . It’s a very technical review.”
“沒有人懷疑中國有任何居心不良之舉，或者從中受益…… 這完全是一次關於流程的技術性審查。”
