Lodamun

[imperialpearl]

Following an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the sinking of a ship owned and operated by the Harrington Company, wherein it was uncovered that the vessel had been destroyed due to a miscalculation on the part of the Beiteynuese Navy, Chief Factor of the HC Dr Joseph Williamson confirmed that it [the Harrington Company] had every intention of seeking compensation. Speaking at a mini-press conference at the Harrington Company’s headquarters in Harrington, Dr Williamson spoke to the intimate details of the company’s investigation into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the HCS-Cantu. He explained that the vessel was en route from refuelling in Sardian wherein it would have made its final stop in Kafuristan to unload its primary cargo: sulfur. During its transit through the “gap” between Cildania and Badara, the vessel was supposedly mistaken for a combatant warship and subsequently engaged. CCTV imagery recovered from the cloud showed that a sea-skimming anti-ship missile had emerged from the horizon: identifiable by its condensation trail which had dissipated moments before the missile entering into its final stage. With the conflict formally concluded, a salvage team was finally able to be dispatched to the area wherein undersea images showed that the vessel had been struck on the starboard side at a space between the engine room and the cargo hold. Sulfur is an extremely flammable metal and when brought into contact with water can lead to an explosion. However, safety standards dictate that such a highly reactive metal be secured in contained storage. Luckily, as the vessel began to take in water due to the hole created by the missile, much of the cargo hold had been sealed/contained. The salvage team reportedly has identified that the now sunken vessel still indeed contains significant amounts of sulfur and is said to be devising a plan (with the help of international companies) to rescue the contained sulfur.

Dr Williamson stated that of the ship’s crew of 15, only four survived as they were rescued by Badaran and Cildania search and rescue personnel. He lamented that the loss of life could have been avoided notwithstanding both the miscalculation on the part of the Beiteynuese Navy and the fact that the vessel was originally not supposed to have been traversing anywhere near the area. According to Williamson, the HCS-Cantu’s captain had either ignored or simply did not know of the Lodamese Coast Guard’s general warning for ships connected to the company and Lodamun as a whole to avoid the area. “Although it is simple speculation, we [the Harrington Company], believe that Captain Isaac Kennard [the ship’s captain] was either blatantly ignorant of the warning or was not aware of it, recognising that when the warning was sent out, our GPS data notes that the vessel was in transit along the Likatonian coast near Pirland.” Dr Williamson explained. Notwithstanding this caveat, the Chief Factor noted that the Harrington Company intended to seek compensation for the destroyed vessel, its cargo and the crewmembers lost. He noted that he had been in contact with the families of the men and women lost and they have expressed their support for the HC’s decision to seek compensation partially on their behalf. “It is our [the Harrington Company’s] intention to seek compensation for this miscalculation. We have formally communicated this matter to the Beiteynuese Government in an official communique, and it is our hope that we will be successful given the facts we’ve outlined.” Williamson noted.

With the Carver Administration currently in its transition period, Acting Merchant-General Issac Rivera (who was recently appointed to guide the transition with the Harrington Company), confirmed that incoming Merchant-General Doug Halleck had great intentions of addressing the issue of compensation on day one. He noted that although the Harrington Company seeks compensation for the vessel, its cargo and crew, it does not maintain/hold animosity against Beiteynu nor its Government. “We have stated ad nasseum that we are not interested in games of whispers and intrigue. We are simply seeking compensation for what was a very tragic event and we hope persons looking on at this will address it with the respect is so justly deserves.” Rivera proclaimed.

[imperialpearl]

Following the Harrington Company’s assessment that owing to the lack of movement by the government in Haldor that Dorvik, one of Lodamun’s longest economic relationships, was no longer a “reliable energy supplier”, the company has turned to focus on enhancing its relationship with mature energy province throughout the world. In a joint statement issued earlier this morning, Merchant-General Doug Halleck and Secretary of State Esther Strickland, have embarked on a major visit to Aldegar to not only restabilise the nation’s energy (natural gas and crude oil) imports but to also form a stronger economic bond with what is gradually becoming a key player in the central Seleyan sphere. According to MG Halleck, although the existing supply agreement with Haldor remains intact, any hopes of a renegotiation which could allow for an increase in supply would jettisoned by the Dorvish Government’s refusal to respond to communiques from the Lodamese Government. Secretary Strickland lamented that the state of the Dorvish Government was regrettable but “ultimately a sign of the times”. Speaking to reporters via email she said: “We have always attempted to maintain a positive relationship with Haldor notwithstanding the new geopolitical environment. It was our hope that by renegotiating this energy supply agreement we would, in part, be able to reinvigorate our relationship with that state. However, if the recent moves of the Dorvish Government are any indication of the current “state of nature”, it is that there is certainly a need for us to amend our Artania policy and dramatically reassess how and with whom we engage on that continent.” Halleck noted that in the same manner it was prepared to lift tariffs on Majatran energy imports, it was also prepared to withdraw from all major trading agreements with Dorvik and reimpose strict tariffs on some of its crucial exports namely defence and energy. “This is not the Lodamun of the past. We are in a much better position to make these sort of decisions and be able to ride out the supposed storm with relative ease. We are not interested in the type of “silent treatment” we’re seeing from Haldor. Here is an opportunity for that state to count itself as part of our trade core as we begin to count the nations we consider closest to us,” Halleck said via a telephone interview.

In Aldegar, Halleck is expected to negotiate a long-term crude oil and natural gas supply agreement with the Aldegar Government, which he hopes will be able to augment Lodamun’s imports from Trigunia, Kalistan/Lourenne, Hutori and Dorvik therein restabilising the supply. Although details remain rather vague, officials from the Harrington Company noted that the broader intention was to position Aldegar as a core energy partner, hence elevating it to the same status shared by Kalistan and Lourenne. According to said officials, this attempt at nearshoring was the brainchild of Halleck, who noted that although he was keen on “properly diversifying” the nation’s energy import sources, for the sake of reducing risk there needed to be a conceited effort for Lodamun to become more trusting of its neighbours. The agreement is likely to see the involvement of two of Lodamun’s major energy firms: Jackson Energy and North Seleyan Petroleum. Seeking to not preempt his discussions with the Aldegarian Government and the nation’s energy firms, in the joint statement Halleck confirmed the discussions with Secretary of Commerce and Industry Hector Garza had confirmed projections that energy crude oil and natural gas in Berkwaki is set to increase as it [the Department of Commerce and Industry] refocuses its efforts on solidifying the state’s all-important industrialisation efforts. Secretary Strickland is expected to meet with her Aldegarian counterpart Foreign Minister Mohsen Blourian and Trade Minister Kioumars Taghipour. According to Stickland, her presence merely represents the fact that President Carver believes that Lodamun not maintaining a trade/diplomatic agreement with Aldegar whilst attempting to negotiate an energy supply agreement was irreprehensible. “It is my hope to be able to sign a trade and diplomatic agreement with Aldegar. It is President Carver’s view that our relationship with Aldegar should not be two-dimensional but should encompass more beyond mere energy supplies.” She noted that in the spirit of Pan-Seleyanism, President Carver wanted to ensure that Aldegar enjoyed the benefits of greater access to Lodamun’s consumer market, noting that although it was smaller compared to others throughout the world, it nonetheless represented one of the largest markets from imports on the Seleyan continent.

[imperialpearl]

Following a review of the nation’s domestic situation, focusing particularly on the nation’s internal politics and more importantly at the lack of core investment into maintaining its current crude oil and natural gas production levels, the Harrington Company has expressed concern as to the reliability of Dorvik as a continued supplier of crude oil and natural gas to Lodamun. Amidst the collapse of the SKP-dominated order, Dorvik has been on the continuous backfoot as the nation descends into broader economic decay and retreats from both international affairs as well as the global economy. As a major producer supplier of crude oil and natural gas to Lodamun, this global retreat coupled with internal stagnation has raised speculation as to whether the nation would be capable of maintaining its current production level, thereby maintaining its commitments to its export partners. In a statement largely set against the backdrop of growing interest in a broad pivot to the Majatran continent, recently appointed Merchant-General Doug Halleck hinted that the lifting of reciprocal tariffs on energy imports from the Majatran continent could be an option in realigning the nation’s crude oil and natural gas supply to more stable, more reliable sources. At a press conference held at the Harrington Company’s headquarters, MG Halleck stated that although the trajectory of the nation’s energy imports has tilted towards a gradual reduction in crude oil and natural gas purchases (owing to growing movement domestically towards cleaner sources of energy), the growing supposed unreliability of the Dorvish supply is becoming of great concern to many within various quarters. Berkwaki’s downstream petrochemicals industry, which the Lodamese Government has been incubating for the better half of a century, is almost entirely dependent on crude oil/natural gas imports. According to some energy analysts, an unreliable supply could spell trouble for the state’s economy and by extension the national economy. “With an industry that is as capital intensive as Berkwaki’s, certainty is king. And the uncertainty that the Dorvish supply brings to the table is destined to sour the meal for everyone else,” Halleck remarked.

Halleck, a former oilman (as he served as the CEO of Jackson Energy) is all too familiar with situations of this nature and thus his musings on a potential lifting of tariffs on majatran energy are brought into context. Initially, tariffs were levied against Majatran energy imports following the Kafuristani energy crisis and the ensuing global economic “micro-crisis”. Then Merchant-General David Teller imposed heavy taxes against crude oil and natural gas originating from the continent as he proffered in a now declassified memo, “The corrosive nature by which these petrostates seek to influence global affairs should find no quarter in Lodamun. It is my honest view that we must realign our energy imports towards nations which have demonstrated a degree of maturity on the international stage. We must rid ourselves of this exposure to the brain virus which seems to be sweeping through the petrostates.” As a result of the memo, the Harrington Company levied a 38% tariff on Majatran energy imports, excluding those originating from Beiteynu. Data from the Resource Information Bureau (RIB) noted that following the tariff fuel prices within Lodamun saw a transitory spike which was ultimately flattened as importers turned to other sources primarily closer to Lodamun such as Kalistan/Lourenne and Trigunia. Halleck noted that as the administration considers its options, particularly on expanding Lodamun’s relationship with the Majatran continent on imports, the Harrington Company would remain proactive in negotiating a new settlement with the Dorvish government. “There is a new government in Haldor attempting to do things much different from the previous post-SKP parties, so certainly we are going to attempt to approach the Dorvish Government on negotiating a longer lasting settlement to see whether we can breathe fresh air into our energy relationship there,” Halleck proclaimed.

[imperialpearl]

On the heels of intense competition among the nation’s major shipbuilders, Cowgill-Masterson Maritime Engineering has come out as the Lodamese Navy’s preferred contractor to build the Marine Corps’ future fleet of landing platform docks (LPDs). In a statement issued earlier this morning, the Defence Procurement Administration (DPA) noted that following approval of the procurement notice from the National Congress, CMME would be instructed to begin construction of what is being dubbed as the Marine Corps’ future workhorses. As the Department of Defence begins to drift ever closer towards the Marine Corps, particular intention is being placed on ensuring the LMC is capable of adhering to its new force structure. The conclusion of the “Hubris War”, and the lessons learned by the DoD, particularly on the need for Lodamun to establish a presence along its major trade routes, owing to the failures of the former global geostrategic order, has brought attention to the Marine Corps noting their expeditionary warfare capabilities. Defence experts note that by its very nature, the LMC was formed as an expeditionary warfare force with the clear intent of fighting wars well beyond Lodamun’s borders (essentially keeping the nation at an arm’s length from threats which might materialise into clear and present dangers). The contract, which costs around 16 billion LOD, forms part and parcel of the Marine Corps’ long-term modernisation programme as the unit costs per vessel, according to the document, sits at around 2.02 billion LOD. Owing to the renewed focus on gradually enhancing the joint capabilities of the Lodamese Navy and the Lodamese Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy remains wholly responsible for the NMP.

Nonetheless, the Cowgill-Masterson Maritime Engineering’s design, the Portswood-class, provides the Lodamese Marine Corps with unique capabilities not fielded within the Lodamese Navy’s current arsenal of ships (either in construction or in sea trials). In its truest form, it will be the primary means by which Marine Corps assets including vehicles and some personnel would be brought on land from at-sea operations. According to CMME’s website, the vessel contains ample room for the LCAC (landing craft, air-cushioned) and the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV). For transporting limited amounts of infantry, it will possess a hanger wide enough to accommodate some of the Marine’s future rotary wind aircraft including the Sea Eagle and Osprey helicopters. The vessel will be capable of conducting numerous roles including acting as a quasi-hospital ship and a mission command centre. Although it may not possess as many offensive arms as say the Mirowaki-class frigate and Andrew Neilson-class destroyer, the advanced technological systems set to be integrated into the vessel will ensure it acts as a central housing platform for much of the tactical and strategic command associated with its future operations. “These three (3) vessels will provide us with a capability like no other within our current arsenal. The ability to move assets offshore to onshore is an essential capability of the Marine Corps, and I am pleased we are moving forward with rolling these vessels into our force structure,” Commandant of the Lodamese Marine Corps, Gen. Louie Wright, exclaimed. Construction of the vessels is set to start in the next 3 years as CMME’s shipyards are still focused on the Mirowak-class frigate.

[imperialpearl]

For what it is worth the vast majority of Lodamese companies have, since the first DPL administration came into power centuries prior, become the subject of a politically useful phrase which sums up the political class’ lament of the private sector: “the laziness of the Lodamese private sector.” And yet, there is a degree of truth to this statement. Lodamese companies have been historically resistant to expanding into new markets citing concerns related to “risk”. After years of “incubation” and cushioning from lofty government subsidies, this trend could soon be on the retreat. Earlier this morning, Digital Instruments one of Lodamun’s premier semiconductor manufacturing firms and potentially the largest of its kind on the Seleyan continent announced that following stakeholder consultation as well as encouragement from the Harrington Company and the Department of Commerce and Industry, the company would be opening its first semiconductor/microchips plant outside of Lodamun. DI CEO Mark Brennan, in a press statement, noted that in subsequent discussions with Gaduri Trade and Industry Minister Valentina Silva, the company had decided to construct the facility in the Marligantos, stating its proximity to the vibrant university ecosystem within the state would ultimately lend itself to the development of “potentially bold ideas.” This strategy to place the company’s semiconductor facility within close proximity to universities and major research centres is drawn from the company’s experiences in Newchester. As Lodamun’s “research state”, Digital Instruments constructed its first semiconductor plant in the state centuries prior, and the facility (when paired with the various universities nearby including the Newchester Institute of Technology - NIT) has grown to become the largest semiconductor manufacturing facility on the Seleyan continent.

“We recognise the growing potential of the Gaduri economy. That nation has undergone a major economic transformation which has propelled it to great heights. It is our view that by making it the market in which we make our first foray out of the Lodamun, we firmly commit to the idea and we can find stability and certain in that nation’s economy,” Brennan’s press release read. The facility is expected to cost some 15 billion LOD (18.2 billion GAD), therein becoming one of the largest investments by a private-sector company within Gaduridos’ recent history. Brennan noted that DI was not interested in inherent competition within the Gaduri market for the sake of market dominance but was more interested in collaboration between small and medium-sized companies within the nation. Speaking to the broad benefits which could befall Gaduridos once the facility is constructed, DI CIO Karl Goodman noted that whereas previously companies would have had to import semiconductors, they can enter into “arrangements” with DI who will produce microchips internally. “This ultimately saves Gaduridos the stress of having to source foreign exchange to import what could and WILL be produced within the nation itself,” Goodman explained. The company’s Gaduri operations would be managed through a subsidiary of DI Holdings called Fabricantes Electrónicos Málalona (FEM). FEM itself would be headed by Gaduri-native Héctor Amengual, who previously served as an Engineering Manager in Digital Instruments Millford. Brennan noted that the facility was not the broad extent of the company’s ambitions in Gaduridos as he noted that once the company as well established itself within the Gaduri market, there would be plans to establish an R&D centre in the nation through FEM which will work with local universities and startups. “That 15 billion LOD is no joke and it would be remiss of us to invest that much into a facility and fall short of developing something really amazing here in Gaduridos. I think FEM and Gaduridos will have an extremely fruitful relationship,” Brennan concluded.

[imperialpearl]

As the nation’s principal institution responsible for the development and construction of civil projects, the Civil Projects Administration (CPA) will go down as one of the most influential institutions in modern Lodamese history, and will likely stand alongside the likes of core institutions such as the Harrington Company and the Federal Industrial Finance Corporation. Yet, for all its touted importance, the CPA has been lacking in the massive, multi-billion projects it was initially created to initiate. Since its formation a year decade prior, the CPA’s 300 billion LOD budget (largely financed via numerous loans and deficit financing), has remained largely dormant. Conditions imposed upon the agency by the National Congress necessitated that it [the CPA] would be only granted new funding if it had demonstrated that (1) its projects were in line with the BCA’s recommendations and (2) it had expended its initial funding on said projects in a many compliant with audits. Whilst the nation’s ambitious highway restructuring process is underway, marshalling some 150 billion LOD towards the construction of a modern, integrated highway network which both the BCP (Bureau of Central Planning) and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport view to be a crucial step in unlocking the nation’s economic potential, there has been a growing conversation within Lodamun as it pertains to the nature of national utilities, particularly the nation’s electricity providers. The Resources Information Bureau, the DENR agency responsible for providing complete and near-perfect information on the state and nature of natural resources in Lodamun notes that Lodamun remains one of the most energy insecure nations on the Seleyan continent. Pointing to the more than $25 billion LOD spent on imported energy particularly crude oil and natural gas, not just for power generation but also for Berkwaki’s burgeoning downstream petrochemicals industry. Lodamun’s energy mix according to the RIB is largely dominated by natural gas, occupying 81% of all energy sources currently in operation in Lodamun (inclusive of St. Christopher’s growing green energy market). The vast majority of the nation’s electricity providers are private-sector companies and whilst the federal government has communicated ad nasseum that it has no intention of nationalising electricity providers but will instead continue to manage electricity rates, there has been growing interest in the establishment of a new concept: regional utilities.

At a joint press conference alongside the Secretary of Energy and Natural Resources Tyson Callahan, CPA Administrator Alden Hershey, and Secretary of Infrastructure and Transport Maxton Pollard explained that the three entities had come to a formal agreement on establishing regional utilities which, once fully constituted will be a means through which the federal government could maintain a leg within the nation’s energy market whilst providing much-needed investment into the national grid as well as sparking interest in reducing the nation’s dependence on imported energy. The three entities, coined the Edmiston Basin Authority, the Kregon Plateau Authority and the Nasahatchie River Authority, are to act as independent utilities each responsible for broader power infrastructure policy development within their respective namesakes. Secretary Pollard explained that the Edmiston Basin Authority is expected to develop a major power generation cluster within the Edmiston Basin, which lies in south-eastern Millford. The EBA will be responsible for developing power generation plants be it gas-fired (if the moratorium is lifted), nuclear (once the federal government has articulated its policy), hydroelectric or wind/solar; wherein the energy generation would be sold to state and local power distributors/providers via the national grid. He noted that the process as described for the EBA was to be replicated/mirrored in the KPA and the NRA respectively. The utilities will be also responsible for managing auxiliary storage for numerous utilities most notably grid energy storage facilities. Alongside this, the utilities will possess powers to cooperate with federal, state and local officials on economic development projects, as the Federal Government surrenders significant amounts of federal land to the three utilities to manage. “This is a major transformation of how we [the federal government] interact with power providers. Via these utilities we can drive home our green initiatives more directly; the utilities can greenlight green energy projects and work with the CPA in constructing them. Decentralising such decisions to these utilities is, I believe, something we should have done a long time ago.

[BananaZebra]

The Conference of Bier Qassem

[imperialpearl]

Although both nations have for the better half of the previous three centuries maintained extremely friendly relations; with Lourenne being one of Lodamun’s closest trading partners, cooperation between the two nations on security and intelligence has been rather lacklustre. With the Beiteynu-Lourenne intelligence alliance having been formally collapsed in the lead-up to the Hubris War and a state of detente existing between the two nations, Director of National Assessments James Bannon believes that the current state of nature provides the Lodamese Government with a unique opportunity to advance a more coherent intelligence-sharing arrangement between Kensington and Eroncourt. On instructions from President Eric Carver, DNA Bannon is en route to Eroncourt where he intends to propose a binding intelligence-sharing framework between Lodamun and Lourenne, which he hopes would lend itself to an improved working relationship between the various agencies within the two nations. In a press communique issued moments after his departure, Bannon stated that the Lodamese intelligence community has been extremely hesitant with respect to sharing information/data gathered in its investigations/operations plainly out of fear that said information would potentially land in the hands of adversaries. Pointing to the Allink Command Agreement, Bannon noted that although the framework represented a major leap forward into how information was shared among nations across a vast network, glaring issues related to secure networks. In the leadup to the Hubris War, both Lourenne and Lodamun were removed from the Beiteynu-headed programme, although Lodamun’s involvement in the programme was largely limited following new security protocols introduced by the returning DPL government. DNA Bannon believes that in an era of peace, the like-minded nations of the world must prepare for the inevitability of conflict. “In this era of inherent peace, we must not falter and let our guard down. We must pounce at this opportunity to address the glaring issues related to our security,” he proclaimed. In Eroncourt, Bannon is expected to meet with numerous key figures within Lourenne’s security and intelligence community including Royal Minister for Domestic Affairs Xochitl Chetal and the Director of Royal Intelligence and Anti-Terrorist Service (IRSA). Here he noted, he will propose a new intelligence-sharing alliance between Lourenne and Lodamun, largely guided by a new framework.

[imperialpearl]

In the absence of a coherent, comprehensive and robust social security system, economic insecurity comes to the forefront as many Lodamese citizens are forced to constantly question the extent to which they may be able to keep their heads above the water. Lodamun's social welfare model can only be described as a patchwork of programmes, managed by various government departments (both federally and stately) and which never truly reaches those who need the most help. The system's history of hits and misses has been devastating for public confidence in the government's ability to render assistance to the nation's most vulnerable and has damped almost any and all optimism among the nation's senior citizens of the prospect of a comfortable, worry-free retirement. For any modern/advanced economy, the existence of a social welfare system which caters to the needs of the vast majority of the population with some semblance of both transparency and efficiency and which attempts to eliminate uncertainty among its contributors and benefactors has often been viewed as one of the core measures/determinants of a nation's capacity for greatness. Although it can be argued that throughout the known world, there is no perfect social welfare model, it does not excuse the calamitous state of the Lodamese system.

In its report on the state of the Lodamese welfare state, the Centre for Social Policy Research notes that the Lodamese system is plagued by administrative inefficiencies, corruption and fraud. It placed much of the blame for this situation at the feet of the government itself as it noted that the way in which the Lodamese welfare system is managed (wherein its core programmes are administrated by different/separate entities, under different departments, all operating in silos) had created an enabling environment for fraudulent activities such as double dipping as each programme refused to share information with each other related to the enrollment applicants."Throughout our welfare state's history, it has been plagued with numerous challenges related to its administration; i.e. whether the help it says it could render to those in need, truly gets to them. From double dipping and other fraudulent activities, the system has become a cesspit for criminality and a stain on the nation's credibility when it comes to social welfare reform. The disjointed, unintegrated nature of the programmes has created situations where the Unemployment Assistance programme under the Department of the Treasury doesn't know that the applicant before it is under another programme administered by the Department of Health and Social Services virtually doing the same thing. Whether it's double dipping or duplicate programmes, much of the woes of this system is by design and thus much of the blame rests at the feet of the [federal] government," Harriet Graydon, a Senior Policy Analyst at the Centre for Social Policy Research explained in an op-ed in the Kensington Post last week.

As the Lodamese economy continues to grow, some analysts note that although growth could simply push the great reckoning of the poor state of Lodamun's social welfare system down the road, in times of economic uncertainty, (such as during a recession) the system could buckle and collapse under the weight of its own inefficiency. Having promised to overhaul the nation's social welfare system during the campaign, President Carver has stated that his administration is prepared to unveil the details surrounding their plans for a new welfare model in Lodamun. At a joint press conference at Whitehall alongside the Secretary of Health and Social Services Dr Samantha Fraser revealed that one of her day one initiatives was to form a committee of social policy experts with the aim of aiding the government in building a new social welfare model for the nation, one purged of the inefficiencies of the current model. At the head of this committee was Dr Abner Montgomery, a Professor of Public Economics at Drumford University and one of the nation's foremost intellectual minds on matters related to the welfare state, retirement issues and public finance. Other names included Dr Abner Adams, a Professor of Public Policy at the University of Newchester, Dr Susanna Kinnard, a Professor of Labour Economics at the University of St. Christopher, Dr Efrem Hopkins, a Professor of Health Economics at the University of Barrington and Dr Arleen Joseph, Director of the National Institute for Social and Economic Reform.

According to Dr Montgomery, the committee conducted a series of consultations with members of the private sector and the public sector in order to map out the extent of the damage done to the Lodamese welfare state. In a 120-page document which has been since seen by the President and has been subsequently sent to the National Congress, the committee regurgitated much of the observations and conclusions drawn by persons such as Harriet Graydon. It noted that for the system to have the intended effect, it would have to be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. Of the numerous recommendations coming out of the report, the establishment of a singular, federal entity responsible for the administration of all welfare programmes stood out, virtually eliminating the problem of duplicate programmes and enhancing monitoring through consolidation.

Part Two of this Two-Part Series will continue next week

[GreekIdiot]

Beiteynu
"Centralised militarism is over"; Kohav urges other states to take the lead - June 5489