Brown urges new banks 'contract'

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for a new "social contract" with the world's banks to make them more responsible to society.
英首相Gordon Brown日前呼籲世界銀行家的新「社會規範」應對社會負起更多的責任


Mr Brown told a G20 meeting in Scotland it was not acceptable that banking success was reaped by the few but failure was "borne by all of us".
Brown先生於蘇格蘭舉辦的G20會議中提出，成功的利潤總是由少數銀行享用，然而虧損卻總是「全民買單」。


He called for a fund for future bank bailouts to be considered, possibly paid for by a tax on transactions.
He also said it was "essential" there was progress on funding climate change.
他呼籲銀行未來的紓困資金發放應更加審慎，因此資金的來源是從稅收與證交稅支付。他也談到大環境正在改變時，資金的流向是「至為重要的」。


Taxpayers' burden納稅人的負擔

Mr Brown told the meeting of G20 finance ministers in St Andrews that there should be a "just distribution of risks and rewards".
Brown先生在聖安德魯舉行的G20會議中對財務小組談到，此類會談只應談到「風險與獲利的分佈(意指不該談論如何申請政府協助紓困)」。


"I believe we should discuss whether we need a better economic and social contract to reflect the global responsibilities of financial institutions to society," he said.
Mr Brown said the financial sector was so key that governments had no choice but to step in when it failed.
「我認為我們應該討論我們是否急需一個更好的社經規範去反映全球財務機構對社會的責任，」他如是說。Brown先生說因財金行業是非常關鍵的以致政府別無選擇只能一味彌補他們的失敗。


He added: "And it cannot be acceptable that the benefits of success in this sector are reaped by the few but the costs of its failure are borne by all of us."
他更補充：「並且成功的果實由少數金融業者享用然而失敗的成本卻由全民買單，這是令人無法接受的。」



Mr Brown repeatedly stressed the need for "global" action on reforming the world's banking system.
Brown先生重複地強調對「全球性的」重建世界金融系統行動式多麼急需。


He insisted: "Britain will not move unless others move with us."
他堅持：「英國不可能讓步，除非其他人跟著我們走。」


Mr Brown admitted there would be "enormous and difficult practical and technical issues" but a "better social contract" was needed with banking systems to make them more responsible.
Brown先生承認那將會帶來「艱鉅的實務技術議題」然而「更好的社會規範」令金融系統承擔起更多的責任卻是不可或缺的。


He said it could be funded in a number of ways, including a global levy on transactions.
他說那可藉由數種方式來建立，包括全球性的證券交易稅。


Other options, he said, were an insurance scheme, a global "resolution fund" or a contingent capital arrangement.
其他的選項，他說道，是藉由保險計畫，一種全球性的「紓困基金」或是資本契約。


The UK has in the past been opposed to transaction levies, known as Tobin taxes, believing they could damage the interests of the City of London.
英國過去一直以來便抵制對徵收證交稅，最為人知的便是Tobin稅，被認為將會減損倫敦的稅收。


The BBC's Joe Lynam, in Saint Andrews, says Mr Brown's calling for an insurance levy or transaction tax is the verbal equivalent of a cruise missile being thrown into the debate.
BBC記者Joe Lynam，在聖安德魯報導Brown先生推動徵收保險稅或證交稅之言簡直如同一枚飛彈丟進辯論之中。



The call took many delegates by surprise, and sources close to the Canadian and American delegations suggest their response could be lukewarm, our correspondent says.
此番宣言令許多代表震驚，且結果接近加拿大與美國代表所建議的，他們的回應可以更加婉轉，我們的相關人士如此談到。



The British Bankers' Association quickly cast doubt on the effectiveness of such financial transaction levies.
英國銀行業者協會迅速的對徵收證交稅所能得到的成效投以質疑。



Chief executive Angela Knight said: "[They] don't work as they require perfect or near-perfect global implementation."
執行長Angela Knight說道「對於全球性的成長(他們)並沒有做到如他們先前所要求的完美，或者說接近完美。」


But a senior policy adviser for Oxfam, Max Lawson, said he would welcome a tax on banks as "a major step towards clearing up the mess caused by their greed".
Mr Brown also told the G20 finance ministers it was not the right time to end stimulus packages that many governments have introduced to bolster their economies.
但Oxfam的資深顧問，Max Lawson，卻歡迎政府對銀行徵稅，是「往清除政府貪婪的污穢上邁進一大步」。Brown先生也對G20財務小組言道這並不是結束去刺激許多已經引進徵收此類稅收的去振興經濟的政府的好時機。


Some G20 nations, including the US, Japan and Germany, want to debate "exit strategies" to end the measures.
一些G20的會員國，包含美國，日本及德國，希望討論「目前政策」去改變現有標準。



But Mr Brown said: "It would be dangerous to put recovery at risk by suddenly cutting off the funding and investment that is supporting families and businesses."
Earlier, UK Chancellor Alistair Darling urged the finance ministers to work towards agreeing on how to finance climate change reform ahead of the key summit on the issue in Copenhagen next month.
然而Brown先生說：「突如其來地去斷絕支撐許多家庭與企業的金援與投資，有在經濟復甦之際放入更多風險的危險性。」早先，英國大臣Alistair Darling促進財政務同意努力朝向下個月在Copenhagen舉行討論如何改變經濟環境與重建關鍵之議題。



"I think it really is imperative that when we reach the end of the day that we have shown that we have made some real progress," he said.
However, there has been disagreement with some representatives about whether this is the right forum for detailed discussion of the issue.
「我認為當我們面臨困境，我們必須展現擁有真正的改善行動是至關重要的，」他說道。然而，一些代表對於此議題細節之討論是否正確卻提出反對聲浪。