Il nuovo piano economico malese

Il primo ministro malese, Najib Abdul Razak, ha impostato un piano quinquennale per ridurre il massiccio debito del Paese. Dice che l'economia ha bisogno di crescere stabilmente in modo che possa raggiungere il suo obiettivo di diventare una nazione sviluppata per il 2020.

[Foto: lavoratori edili aiutano la Malesia a diventare una nazione sviluppata]

I malesi si sono goduti per decenni zucchero e petrolio a buon prezzo. Il governo ha speso circa dieci miliardi di dollari lo scorso anno per tenere il prezzo degli alimenti base e dell'energia artificialmente basso. Questi sussidi sono stati accusati di aver sostenuto l'alto deficit di bilancio della Malesia. Nor Mohamed Yakcop ha il compito di impostare il piano economico quinquennale. Dice che i sussidi verranno gradatamente ridotti nei cinque anni per ridurre i costi.

Dice Nor Mohamed Yakcop: "Nel modo in cui i sussidi funzionano ora, anche chi non ne ha bisogno ha gli stessi aiuti. Dunque mireremo a darli ai bisognosi e ai poveri."

Ma il piano quinquennale non affronta gli aspetti più controversi di una politica di azione positiva. Dà privilegi speciali alla maggioranza malese per l'assegnamento di abitazioni, l'educazione e i lavori statali.

Analisti dicono che le politiche distorcono il mercato e rendono la Malesia meno competitiva. Ma il primo ministro dice che le politiche hanno bisogno di essere rivitalizzate piuttosto che eliminate. Ha reiterato il suo impegno a ridistribuire la ricchezza nelle mani dei malesi, che restano tra i più poveri del Paese.

Testo originale: BBC Words in the News 11 giugno 2010

Malaysia's prime minister, Najib Abdul Razak, has set out a five-year plan to cut down its massive debt. He says the economy needs to grow steadily so that it can reach its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2020.

[Photo: Construction workers helping Malaysia become a developed nation]

Malaysians have enjoyed cheap sugar and petrol for decades. The government spent around ten billion dollars last year to keep the price of food staples and energy artificially low.

• to keep the price of food staples and energy artificially low: to keep the cost of basic food supplies (rice, potatoes, corn etc.), electricity and gas lower than they would be at normal market prices

These subsidies have been blamed for sustaining Malaysia's high budget deficit.

• subsidies: money from a government or authority to help an industry, (such as farming), or to provide cheaper goods for the public - in this case, food and energy
• high budget deficit: when a very large amount of money is and is more than the money received

Nor Mohamed Yakcop is in charge of drafting the five-year economic plan. He said the subsidies will be gradually reduced over five years to save costs.

Nor Mohamed Yakcop: "The way the subsidies work now, even those who don't need it get the same assistance. So we will target it to the needy and to the poor."

• assistance: help or support

But the five-year plan doesn't address the more controversial aspects of an affirmative action policy.

• an affirmative action policy: a government set of ideas or plan to help people who are often discriminated against (women, gay people, people from particular ethnic minorities, or particular religions) to get jobs, better pay, improved living conditions etc.

It gives special privileges to the Malay majority in housing, education and government jobs.

Analysts say the policy distorts the market and makes Malaysia less competitive.

• distorts the market: changes the prices (in a negative way) that goods and services can be sold at

But the prime minister said the policy needs to be revamped rather than scrapped.

• revamped: changed again so that it will be improved
• scrapped: stopped being used

He repeated his commitment to redistributing wealth into the hands of the Malays, who remain among the poorest in the country.

• commitment to redistributing wealth: belief in and promise to share wealth between rich people and poor people