5大改革有望重塑希臘經(jīng)濟(jì)
????沒(méi)有哪怕一家游輪公司根據(jù)這項(xiàng)新的法律進(jìn)入希臘市場(chǎng)。如今,希臘新政府已承諾將批準(zhǔn)一項(xiàng)新的措施,同時(shí)取消對(duì)非歐盟運(yùn)營(yíng)商的征稅和合同要求。目前該法案還在等待希臘國(guó)會(huì)審議。“這項(xiàng)新的法案必將使比雷埃夫斯等希臘港口成為吸引大型游輪運(yùn)營(yíng)商的重要目的地,”希臘國(guó)際商會(huì)(International Chamber of Commerce in Greece)負(fù)責(zé)人尼克斯?維尼克斯表示。這項(xiàng)法案值得關(guān)注,因?yàn)樗耐ㄟ^(guò)將是改革的一個(gè)重要征兆。 卡車運(yùn)輸業(yè) ????希臘貴得離譜的陸路運(yùn)輸費(fèi)用已成為束縛希臘國(guó)內(nèi)制造業(yè)和商品出口的沉重枷鎖。要經(jīng)營(yíng)一個(gè)卡車車隊(duì),公司必須要為每部車獲取牌照,而20世紀(jì)70年代以來(lái),政府再也沒(méi)有發(fā)放過(guò)新的牌照。“四十年來(lái),希臘的國(guó)際貿(mào)易量增長(zhǎng)了兩倍,而卡車數(shù)量卻一點(diǎn)都沒(méi)變,”希臘著名的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家米蘭達(dá)?扎法表示。因此,卡車嚴(yán)重短缺,制造商們必須要支付高價(jià)才能將商品運(yùn)往國(guó)內(nèi)外。卡車牌照允許轉(zhuǎn)讓,但價(jià)格不菲,因此拍照轉(zhuǎn)手時(shí),持有者自然會(huì)開(kāi)出高價(jià),以期收回當(dāng)初的重金投資。 ????由于國(guó)內(nèi)運(yùn)費(fèi)太貴,希臘人轉(zhuǎn)而從比利時(shí)購(gòu)買花椰菜。如果要運(yùn)送同樣的一屋子家具,請(qǐng)比利時(shí)卡車運(yùn)輸公司從布魯塞爾運(yùn)至雅典所需的費(fèi)用可能還要低于從雅典一個(gè)倉(cāng)庫(kù)運(yùn)至幾英里外新住所所需的費(fèi)用。如果從雅典運(yùn)輸電子產(chǎn)品至塞薩洛尼基,卡車只能空車返回,不得裝運(yùn)新的貨物。 ????2010年,希臘國(guó)會(huì)通過(guò)了一項(xiàng)法律,授權(quán)政府以低價(jià)發(fā)放新的牌照。但這項(xiàng)改革推遲了三年,引發(fā)了人們對(duì)改革到底是否會(huì)落實(shí)的疑慮。令人不由得想起當(dāng)初的游輪“改革”。今年年初,希臘國(guó)會(huì)取消了過(guò)渡期,1月底全面放開(kāi)了卡車運(yùn)輸市場(chǎng)。除非希臘倒退,從橄欖油到家用電器等所有的希臘出口商品在國(guó)際市場(chǎng)上的價(jià)格都將大大降低,希臘國(guó)內(nèi)的蔬菜和其他農(nóng)產(chǎn)品也將得以進(jìn)入新的國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)。 醫(yī)藥業(yè) ????幾十年來(lái),希臘經(jīng)濟(jì)一直充斥著價(jià)格管制,這不僅損害了消費(fèi)者利益,也讓那些被細(xì)心呵護(hù)的產(chǎn)業(yè)喪失了提高生產(chǎn)率的一切動(dòng)力。一個(gè)典型的例子就是醫(yī)藥業(yè)。希臘政府確保藥店在所有藥品上加價(jià)35%。因此,一個(gè)月劑量、售價(jià)200美元的心臟病專利藥零售價(jià)加價(jià)高達(dá)70美元。“過(guò)度診斷的動(dòng)力很強(qiáng),”扎法說(shuō)。“這也解釋了為什么希臘人的人均用藥量排在歐盟首位。” ????根據(jù)新的法律,藥店對(duì)平價(jià)藥加價(jià)不得超過(guò)15%,高價(jià)藥的加價(jià)比率則更低。平均加價(jià)幅度應(yīng)從過(guò)去的35%降到不到15%。消費(fèi)者贏得了重大勝利。 |
????Not a single cruise line entered the market under that law. But now, the new government has pledged to enact a measure that removes both the tax and the contract requirement for non-EU carriers. It's now on the docket for the current parliament. "The new law promises to make ports such as Piraeus a major attraction for the big cruise operators," says Nicos Vernicos, head of the International Chamber of Commerce in Greece. Watch this law closely: Its passage would be a crucial bellwether for reform. The trucking industry ????The shockingly high cost of road transport is socking both Greek exports and domestic production. To operate a trucking fleet, companies need a license for each truck, and no new ones have been granted since the 1970s. "In 40 years, Greece's international trade has tripled, and the number of trucks is frozen," says Miranda Xafa, a leading Greek economist. As a result, trucks are in short supply, so manufacturers need to pay inflated prices to move merchandise within Greece, or to foreign markets. The licenses do get sold, but only at huge prices, once again ensuring that truckers will charge a king's ransom recoup their heavy investment. ????Greeks buy cauliflower from Belgium because it's so expensive to transport inside within their own borders. It costs less to move an apartment full of furniture from Brussels to Athens with a Belgian trucker than to ship the same furniture from an Athens warehouse to the new lodging a few miles away. Trucks transporting electronics from Athens to Thessaloniki were barred from returning with a new load. ????In 2010, the parliament passed a law enabling the government to issue new licenses at minimal cost. But the reform was delayed for three years -- reminiscent of the attempt at first cruise ship "reform" -- leading to questions over whether it would really happen. Early this year, the parliament eliminated the transition period, and fully opened the trucking market as of January. Unless Greece retreats, its shipment of everything from olive oil to appliances will cost far less to foreign buyers, and its vegetables and other produce will reach new markets across Greece. Pharmaceuticals ????For several decades, the Greek economy has been rife with price controls that hammered consumers, and removed all incentive for the coddled industries to improve productivity. A notable example is pharmaceuticals. The government guaranteed pharmacies a 35% markup on all drugs. So a patented, $200 a month heart medicine got $70 tacked onto the retail price. "The incentive to over-prescribe was immense," says Xafa. "It explains why Greece has the highest level of pharmaceutical consumption per capita in the EU." ????Under a new law, pharmacies are limited to imposing a margin of 15% on inexpensive drugs, and far less on expensive therapies. On average, the markups should fall from the old 35% to well under 15% on average, a major victory for consumers. |