来源：《卫报》
原文刊登日期：2022年4月29日
At a time when household budgets are already being squeezed, it is more important than ever that companies feel the heat of competition to force them to keep prices down. But across too much of our economy, that isn’t happening.
在家庭预算已经被削减的时候，企业感受到竞争的激烈，迫使它们压低价格，这一点比以往任何时候都更加重要。但在我们的大部分经济领域，这并没有发生。
Recent analysis finds that the level to which markets are dominated by a limited number of companies is higher than before the 2008 financial crisis. Companies are enjoying higher markups, particularly those that have enjoyed a strong position in the market: the top 10% of firms in the UK have seen markups rise significantly, with the difference between their prices and the costs of producing their goods and services rising from 58% to 82% over the past 20 years. The largest and most profitable firms are able to sustain their strong position for longer than they used to.
最近的分析发现，市场由数量有限的公司主导的水平高于2008年金融危机之前。公司正在享受更高的加价，尤其是那些在市场上拥有强大地位的公司：英国前10%的公司的加价大幅上升，在过去20年中，它们的价格与生产商品和服务的成本之间的差值从58%上升到82%。规模最大、利润最高的公司能够比过去更长久地维持其强势地位。
If competition is weak, firms do not face the same pressures to keep prices down, to innovate and improve, or to keep quality high. This harms all of us as individuals who are faced with worse choices and higher prices, and typically impacts those struggling the most as the cost of living rises. The people most likely to feel the force of these developments are those who are already struggling the most.
如果竞争不激烈，企业就不会面临压低价格、创新改进或保持高质量的压力。这伤害了我们所有人，因为我们每个人都面临着更糟糕的选择和更高的价格，特别是当生活成本上升时，影响最大的是那些挣扎的人。最有可能感受到这些发展的力量的是那些已经在苦苦挣扎的人。
Businesses providing essential goods and services tend to have fewer competitors, and these are the very industries that stretched households on lower incomes are most exposed to.
提供必需商品和服务的企业往往竞争对手较少，而这些行业正是最容易影响收入较低家庭的行业。
Weak competition also harms businesses that may find themselves paying more to their suppliers or being unfairly prevented from growing by small numbers of powerful firms, with the tech sector being an obvious example of this.
弱竞争也会损害企业，这些企业可能会发现自己向供应商支付了更多的费用，或被少数实力强大的企业不公平地阻止增长，科技行业就是一个明显的例子。
It also harms the economy as a whole as inefficient firms can stay inefficient. This comes at the expense of job creation, productivity growth and higher wages. Strong competition can also make our economy more resilient to shocks, which we have not been short of in recent years.
弱竞争还损害了整个经济，因为效率低下的公司会一直保持效率低下。这是以牺牲创造就业机会、提高生产率和提高工资为代价的。强劲的竞争还可以使我们的经济更具抗冲击能力，而近年来我们一直面临各种各样的冲击。
So what is the solution? Government, regulators and businesses must continue to work to create the conditions in which the best businesses can thrive. For the government, it is about ensuring that regulations promote competition rather than stifle it. Regulators, such as the Competition and Markets Authority, must continue to play their roles as robust enforcers of competition and consumer protections.
那么解决方案是什么呢？政府、监管机构和企业必须继续努力，创造条件，让最好的企业能够蓬勃发展。对于政府来说，关键在于确保监管促进而不是扼杀竞争。竞争与市场管理局等监管机构必须继续发挥其作为竞争和消费者保护有力执法者的作用。
For businesses, it is about treating their customers fairly and making sure they stay on the right side of competition law. It is also about knowing that if they break the rules, regulators are watching and will take action. And, as consumers, we can all help to protect ourselves by knowing our rights.
对企业而言，这是关于公平对待客户，确保企业遵守竞争法的正确方向。这也意味着要知道，如果企业违反规定，监管者会密切关注并采取行动。作为消费者，我们都可以通过了解自己的权利来帮助保护自己。
Together, we can ensure we have competitive markets that work well for all, keeping prices down and driving up quality in the goods and services on which we all rely.
通过共同努力，我们可以确保我们拥有对所有人都有利的竞争性市场，降低价格，提高我们所依赖的商品和服务的质量。