The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday the current boom in fuel and food prices, the biggest commodity price gain in 30 years, is having an uneven impact and is hurting the world's poorest countries most. Barry Wood reports.
In its first analysis of this year's sharp run up in oil and grain prices, the IMF said inflationary pressures are rising as a result.
IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said the unprecedented rise in food and fuel costs have pushed several developing countries to a tipping point. "If food prices rise further and oil prices just stay the same, then some governments will be unable to feed people and at the same time maintain the stability of their economy," he said.
Eighteen African countries are hardest hit, with the worst impact being felt in Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Togo, Comoros, Malawi and Guinea.
IMF economist Thomas Helbling detailed the huge rise in commodity prices since 2003. "Metals prices are about three times as high and food prices are about two times as high," he said.
Oil prices have quadrupled since 2003. Helbling said rice prices, which more than doubled over the past year, are beginning to come down. "This year we would actually expect rice prices, which have come down from recent highs, to come down a bit further," he said.
The IMF has not yet determined the extent to which world economic growth has been slowed by these price increases.
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国际货币基金组织星期二表示，目前的燃料和食品价格飙升导致30年最大幅度的商品价格上涨，世界各国所受影响不尽相同，但是受害最大的是最贫穷国家。
国际货币基金组织星期二发表了对今年石油和粮食价格大幅度攀升的第一个分析。分析认为，石油和粮食价格飙升使通货膨胀压力增大。国际货币基金组织执行主任多米尼克.斯特劳斯-卡恩说，前所未有的食品和燃料价格提高使好几个发展中国家的经济处于悬崖的边缘。
斯特劳斯-卡恩说：“如果食品价格进一步上扬而石油价格保持不变，那么有些国家将无法向本国人民提供粮食，从而无法保持稳定。”
18个非洲国家受到的冲击最大，其中情况最糟糕的有利比里亚、几内亚比绍、厄立特里亚、多哥、马拉维和几内亚。
国际货币基金组织经济师托马斯.赫尔博林对2003年以来商品价格的大幅度上涨做出具体说明。他说：“金属价格提高了大约两倍，而食品价格翻了一番。”
从2003年到现在，石油价格翻了两番。国际货币基金组织经济师赫尔博林表示，稻米的价格在过去一年里翻了一番还多，但是现在开始回落。
赫尔博林说：“实际上，稻米价格已经有所下跌，我们期待今年会进一步走低。”
到目前为止，国际货币基金组织还无法确定商品价格的提高将会在多大程度上导致今年世界经济增长放缓。
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