but I grew up in Sindhekela, a village in Orissa, in India.

但我在「辛西克拉」長大，

My father was a government worker.

這是印度奧里薩邦的一個村莊。

My mother could not read or write, but she

我爸是公務員。

would say to me, "A king is worshipped only in his

我媽不識字，

own kingdom. A poet is respected everywhere."

但她告訴我：

So I wanted to be a poet when I grew up.

「一個國王只受他的子民景仰，

But I almost didn't go to college

但一名詩人會受眾人愛戴。」

until an aunt offered financial help.

所以我長大就想當詩人。

I went to study in Sambalpur,

但我本來上不了大學，

the largest town in the region,

直到一個阿姨資助我的學費。

where, already in college, I saw a television for the first time.

我在「桑巴坡」唸書，

I had dreams of going to the United States

那是邦裡的最大城。

for higher studies.

那時，已經要上大學的我，

When the opportunity came,

生平第一次看電視。

I crossed two oceans, with borrowed money

我當時還想去美國進修。

for airfare and only a $20 bill in my pocket.

所以機會一來，

In the U.S., I worked in a research center,

我就決定跨越兩大洋。

part-time, while taking graduate classes in economics.

借錢買了機票，

And with the little I earned, I would

口袋只剩一張 20 美元。

finance myself and then I would send

到了美國，

money home to my brother and my father.

我在研究中心打工，

My story is not unique.

同時攻讀經濟研究所。

There are millions of people who migrate each year.

雖然賺得不多，

With the help of the family, they cross oceans,

但扣掉自己的開銷，

they cross deserts, they cross rivers, they cross mountains.

我還寄錢回家給爸爸、弟弟。

They risk their lives to realize a dream,

我不是特例。

and that dream is as simple as having a

每年有幾百萬的移工

decent job somewhere so they can send money home

靠著家人幫忙，

and help the family,

橫渡海洋、穿越沙漠、

which has helped them before.

渡過溪流、翻過高山。

There are 232 million international migrants in the world.

他們用生命實現夢想，

These are people who live in a country

一個單純卑微的夢：

other than their country of birth.

找份正當的工作，

If there was a country made up of

然後寄錢回家、幫忙分擔，

only international migrants,

報答家人之前的幫忙。

that would be larger, in population,

全球有 2 億 3200 萬的移民。

than Brazil.

他們住在出生地之外的陌生國度。

That would be larger, in its size

如果把所有移民

of the economy, than France.

聚在一起變成一個國家，

Some 180 million of them, from poor countries,

它的人口會比巴西還多。

send money home regularly.

就經濟規模來說，

Those sums of money are called remittances.

比法國還大。

Here is a fact that might surprise you:

其中 1 億 8000 萬的弱勢國移民

413 billion dollars, 413 billion dollars

會固定寄錢回家鄉。

was the amount of remittances sent last year

我們統稱這些錢為「僑匯」。

by migrants to developing countries.

告訴你驚人的事實：

Migrants from developing countries,

4130 億美元

money sent to developing countries —

是去年發展中國家移民

413 billion dollars.

寄回家的僑匯金額。

That's a remarkable number because

發展中國家的移工

that is three times the size of

把錢寄回發展中國家，

the total of development aid money.

這金額高達 4130 億美元。

And yet, you and I,

會說「高達」是因為，

my colleagues in Washington,

這是已開發國家給予的

we endlessly debate and

發展援助的三倍。

discuss about development aid,

但是你和我，

while we ignore remittances as small change.

還有我在華盛頓的同事，

True, people send 200 dollars per month,

以往不斷地辯證、

on average. But, repeated month after month,

討論發展援助，

by millions of people,

卻忽略僑匯帶來的改變。

these sums of money add up to rivers of foreign currency.

沒錯，每人平均每個月只寄 200 美元，

So India, last year, received 72 billion dollars, larger than

但幾百萬人、月復一月地寄，

its IT exports.

累積成一筆可觀的外匯。

In Egypt remittances are three times

像印度去年，

the size of revenues from the Suez Canal.

就收到 720 億美元僑匯，

In Tajikistan, remittances are 42 percent of GDP.

比其 IT 產業的出口還要多。

And in poorer countries, smaller countries, fragile countries,

在埃及，僑匯相當於

conflict-afflicted countries, remittances are a lifeline,

蘇伊士運河的 3 倍收入。

as in Somalia or in Haiti.

在塔吉克，僑匯佔 GDP 的 42%。

No wonder these flows have huge

在更窮的、更小、更脆弱、

impacts on economies and on poor people.

受戰亂摧殘的國家，僑匯是命脈，

Remittances, unlike private investment money,

像是索馬利亞或海地。

they don't flow back at the first

怪不得這股錢潮

sign of trouble in the country.

對經濟和窮人有這麼大的影響。

They actually act like an insurance.

僑匯和私人投資不一樣，

When the family is in trouble,

它不會因為國家發生問題

facing hardship, facing hard times,

就停止流入；

remittances increase, they act like an insurance.

反而比較像保險。

Migrants send more money then.

如果家裡有困難，

Unlike development aid money,

碰到瓶頸、遇到難關，

that must go through official agencies,

僑匯還會增加，像保險一樣；

through governments, remittances

移民寄更多錢回家。

directly reach the poor,

跟發展援助不一樣，

reach the family,

它不必透過公家單位、政府。

and often with business advice.

僑匯直接送到窮人手中、

So in Nepal, the share of poor

送到家戶手中，

people was 42 percent in 1995,

通常移工還教家人怎麼運用。

the share of poor people in the population.

在尼泊爾，

By 2005, a decade later, at a

1995 年窮人佔 42%，

time of political crisis, economic crisis,

是窮人在總人口的比例。

the share of poor people went down to 31 percent.

10 年後的 2005 年，

That decline in poverty, most of it,

當政治、經濟危機四起，

about half of it, is believed to be

窮人比例降到 31%。

because of remittances from India,

貧窮比例下降，很大一部份，

another poor country.

至少一半以上歸功於

In El Salvador, the school dropout

來自印度或其他地方的僑匯。

rate among children is lower

在薩爾瓦多，

in families that receive remittances.

收到僑匯的家庭，

In Mexico and Sri Lanka,

學童輟學率比較低。

the birth weight of children is higher

在墨西哥和斯里蘭卡，

among families that receive remittances.

收到僑匯的家庭，

Remittances are dollars wrapped with care.

嬰兒出生體重比較高。

Migrants send money home for food,

僑匯飽含著關懷。

for buying necessities, for building houses,

移工想讓家人買食物、

for funding education, for funding

買生活必需品、蓋房子，

healthcare for the elderly, for business

讓小孩子受教育、

investments for friends and family.

讓老人家看醫生、

Migrants send even more money home

投資家人朋友做生意。

for special occasions like a surgery

移工會為特殊情況寄更多錢回家，

or a wedding. And migrants also send

例如手術或婚禮。

money, perhaps far too many times,

移工還會在更多時候，

for unexpected funerals that

為突如其來的葬禮寄錢回家，

they cannot attend.

彌補他們缺席的遺憾。

Much as these flows do all that good,

僑匯能帶來以上的效益，

there are barriers to these

但僑匯還是會受到限制，

flows of remittances, these

限制這 4000 億美元的流動。

400 billion dollars of remittances.

其中最主要的，

Foremost among them is

是昂貴的寄送費用。

the exorbitant cost of sending money home.

轉匯公司訂出高價

Money transfer companies structure

去壓榨窮人。

their fees to milk the poor.

他們會說：「交易低於 500 美元，

They will say, "Up to 500 dollars

如果要寄的話，固定收 30 美元。」

if you want to send, we will charge you

如果你就是窮，只有 200 美元要寄，

30 dollars fixed."

你就要付 30 塊的手續費。

If you are poor and if you have only 200 dollars to send,

全球平均的轉匯費用是 8%。

you have to pay that $30 fee.

也就是如果你寄 100 塊，

The global average cost of sending

遠鄉的家人只會收到 92 塊。

money is eight percent.

如果是寄到非洲，

That means you send 100 dollars,

收費更高，12%。

the family on the other side receives only

非洲國家間互寄

92 dollars.

收費還要再高，

To send money to Africa,

達 20% 以上。

the cost is even higher:

比如說從貝南寄到奈及利亞。

12 percent.

如果是委內瑞拉，

To send money within Africa,

因為外幣交易管制，

the cost is even higher:

寄 100 塊然後夠幸運的話，

over 20 percent.

你的家人可能還能收到 10 塊。

For example, sending money from Benin to Nigeria.

理所當然，沒人用官方管道

And then there is the case of Venezuela, where,

寄錢到委內瑞拉。

because of exchange controls,

都是偷偷裝皮箱運進去。

you send 100 dollars and you

只要官方收費高，

are lucky if the family on the other side

大家就走後門。

receives even 10 dollars.

更糟的是，

Of course, nobody sends money to Venezuela

很多開發中國家其實

through the official channel.

明文禁止私自匯錢到國外。

It all goes in suitcases.

很多富裕國家也明文禁止

Whereever costs are high,

把錢匯到特定國家。

money goes underground.

所以真的別無選擇嗎？

And what is worse,

沒有更好、更便宜的方式轉匯？

many developing countries actually

有。

have a blanket ban on sending money

肯亞的 M-Pesa 公司讓大家

out of the country.

無論匯出或匯入，

Many rich nations also have a

每筆交易固定收 60 分。

blanket ban on sending money to specific countries.

美國聯準會和墨西哥合作，

So, is it that there are no options,

讓貨幣服務企業

no better options, cheaper options, to send money?

轉匯到墨西哥可以用

There are.

每筆交易固定收 67 分的費用。

M-Pesa in Kenya enables people to send money

然而，這些更快、更便宜、更好的方式，

and receive money at a fixed cost of only

還是沒辦法普及到全球。

60 cents per transaction.

因為難免有洗錢的嫌疑。

U.S. Fed started a program with Mexico

儘管沒什麼資料可以證明，

to enable money service businesses

任何關聯、顯著的關聯，

to send money to Mexico

說明洗錢和這些小額僑匯有關。

for a fixed cost of only 67 cents per transaction.

現在很多跨國銀行

And yet, these faster, cheaper, better options

留意到貨幣服務戶頭這塊業務，

can't be applied internationally

特別是在索馬利亞。

because of the fear of money laundering,

索馬利亞的人均收入

even though there is little data

是每年 250 美元。

to support any connection, any significant

一年才 250 美元喔！

connection between money laundering

每個月匯入的平均僑匯

and these small remittance transactions.

遠遠超過那個數字。

Many international banks now

僑匯是索馬利亞的命脈。

are wary of hosting bank accounts

但這就是一個例子：

of money service businesses, especially

人前說要幫助他們，

those serving Somalia.

人後卻用管制的大刀，

Somalia, a country where the

切斷經濟活動的動脈。

per capita income is only 250 dollars per year.

或是像我這種鄉下來的窮人，

Monthly remittances, on average, to Somalia

在小村子，

is larger than that amount.

能領到錢的地方只有郵局。

Remittances are the lifeblood of Somalia.

世界上大多數政府，

And yet, this is an example of

都會允許郵局

the right hand giving a lot of aid,

和轉匯公司有專屬合作關係。

while the left hand is cutting the lifeblood

所以若我想寄錢給鄉下的爸爸，

to that economy, through regulations.

我只能去找那間轉匯公司，

Then there is the case of poor people from villages, like me.

就算它收費很高。

In the villages, the only place where you can

我沒得選。

get money is through the post office.

這必須要改變。

Most of the governments in the world

所以國際組織和

have allowed their post offices to have

社會企業要怎麼做，

exclusive partnerships with money transfer companies.

才能改善這個現象呢？

So, if I have to send money to my

首先，

father in the village, I must send money

放鬆千元以下的小額僑匯管制。

through that particular money transfer company,

政府應該要認知到

even if the cost is high.

小額僑匯不是洗錢。

I cannot go to a cheaper option.

其次，

This has to go.

政府應該要取消

So, what can international organizations and

郵局和特定業者的壟斷合作。

social entrepreneurs do to reduce the cost

如此一來，

of sending money home?

郵局和其他大銀行的合作網路

First, relax regulations on small remittances under 1,000 dollars.

才更能服務貧窮人口。

Governments should recognize that

事實上，應該增加競爭，

small remittances are not money laundering.

創造更多合作可能，

Second, governments should abolish exclusive partnerships

才能讓成本下降，

between their post office and the money transfer company.

就像現在的電信業服務。

For that matter, between the post office

大家都親身體驗到了。

and any national banking system that

第三點，大型非營利慈善機構

has a large network that serves the poor.

應該在非營利的基礎上，

In fact, they should promote competition,

設立僑匯平台。

open up the partnership so that

創立非營利的僑匯平台，

we will bring down costs like we did,

幫忙轉匯公司。

like they did, in the telecommunications industry.

才能以較低的費用提供服務，

You have seen what has happened there.

同時也符合各國間複雜的規定。

Third, large nonprofit philanthropic organizations

已開發國家也應該

should create a remittance platform

設立減少轉匯費用的目標：

on a nonprofit basis.

從現在的 8% 到 1%。

They should create a nonprofit

如果能降到 1%，

remittance platform to serve the money transfer

每年就能多出 300 億美元。

companies so that they can send money at a low cost,

300 億美元比他們每年

while complying with all the complex

給非洲的雙邊援助還要多。

regulations all over the world.

至少相等甚至超過

The development community should

全球最大的金援國，

set a goal of reducing remittance costs

美國政府的援助預算。

to one percent from the current eight percent.

事實上不只多 300 億，

If we reduce costs to one percent,

因為僑匯的管道

that would release a saving of 30 billion dollars per year.

也會用做援助、貿易和投資用途。

Thirty billion dollars, that's larger than the entire

另一個影響

bilateral aid budget going to Africa per year.

僑匯送達家戶的主要障礙，

That is larger than, or almost similar to,

是為數眾多、高昂、非法的

the total aid budget of the United States government,

仲介代辦費，

the largest donor on the planet.

移工會付錢給仲介，

Actually, the savings would be larger

讓他們幫忙介紹工作。

than that 30 billion because remittance channels

我幾年前在杜拜，

are also used for aid, trade and investment purposes.

探視一個移工營。

Another major impediment to the

晚上 8 點，裡面又暗又熱又濕。

flow of remittances reaching the family

工人們才剛卸下

is the large and exorbitant

一整天工作的勞頓。

and illegal cost of recruitment,

我和一個孟加拉來的

fees that migrants pay, migrant workers

建築工人聊天。

pay to laborers who found them the job.

他來工作就打算要寄錢回家。

I was in Dubai a few years ago.

他已經一連寄好幾個月了，

I visited a camp for workers.

然後大部分的錢

It was 8 in the evening, dark, hot, humid.

都付給帶他來杜拜和

Workers were coming back from

幫他找工作的仲介。

their grueling day of work,

我腦海中可以想像，

and I struck a conversation

他每個月等著錢的妻子。

with a Bangladeshi construction worker.

當錢寄到家，

He was preoccupied that he is sending

她拿著領到的錢交給仲介，

money home, he has been

然後孩子在旁邊目睹一切。

sending money home for a few months now,

這必須停止。

and the money is mostly going

不只是孟加拉來的建築工人，

to the recruitment agent, to the labor agent

是對所有工人。

who found him that job.

有數百萬的移工正面臨這種處境。

And in my mind, I could picture

孟加拉來的建築工人，

the wife waiting for

每人平均要付 4000 美元仲介費，

the monthly remittance.

但他一年只賺 2000 美元。

The remittance arrives.

意思就是生命中有兩三年，

She takes the money and hands

基本上就是寄錢回家，

it over to the recruitment agent,

直接付給仲介。

while the children are looking on.

家人連錢的影子都看不到。

This has to stop.