Saridan

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Saridani technology company and semiconductor manufacturer Pietersen announced earlier this morning of its intention to bring the majority of its production into Kaap under a new long-term plan to shift the company's strategic direction into servicing the needs of the world's more advanced economies and positioning itself as a major provider of high-quality, "digital instruments". At a press conference at the company's headquarters in Malmerys Aitan Van Der Sandt, the company's new CEO announced that the company would pour some 1 billion SAD into the construction of a new semiconductor manufacturing facility for the company in pursuit of enhancing its production efforts to placing the company on a clear path for growth and greater competition on the global market. He noted that amidst the company's failed investments in extra-regional territories, the company had made the decision to focus on building up its domestic manufacturing base, stating that a focus on enhancing manufacturing in its home base should have come before an expensive and ultimately chaotic international expansion. According to Van Der Sandt, the proposed factory is expected to be situated in Walvisplek and will be the first of many factories constructed in the city. Van Der Sandt said that Pietersen was prepared to commit to a 5 billion SAD, long-term plan to develop a massive chip manufacturing complex in Walvisplek with more than 5 factories within said complex. "What we are doing here is securing our future on the international market. No other company is doing what we are doing, no other company has the plans we have for Walvisplek, Kaap and Saridan by extension. We are saying "We see the efforts of the Provincial and Federal Government to build something special here and we would like to be part of that," Van Der Sandt said at an event hosted by the Stigershof earlier this week. Staatshouer of Kaap Stiaan De Klerk stated that Pietersen's decision to base the bulk of the company's future semiconductor production infrastructure in the province was a major boon in confidence in the local economy and his administration's plans for the state. At the Stigershof event, Staatshouer De Klerk stated that the company's proposed investment plan would aid in reducing unemployment in the state, providing opportunities during the project's construction phase and providing thousands of jobs via Pietersen's partnerships with local suppliers. Staatshouer De Klerk noted that the facility and the proposed complex are within the vicinity of the University of Kaap which will provide the company with a steady stream of engineering and ICT graduates. CEO Van Der Sandt stated the company had intentions to build another facility in Boerestaat to take advantage of the state's increasingly attractive tax credits and concessions aimed at attracting manufacturing companies. He confirmed that the company had entered into negotiations with the Boerestaat Provincial Government, with a meeting between company executives and Boerestaat's Department of Trade and Industry. Van Der Sandt said that the company's ability to erect its factories throughout the country would be based on its ability to access financing and subsidies as it notes that these facilities are extremely expensive and thus the company, like many other semiconductor firms to company, will require considerable financial and technical assistance from the provincial and federal governments. SBB Group CEO Dr Wikus Van Heerdens confirmed that the Industrial Finance Corporation is expected to become intrinsically involved in future projects alongside Pietersen as a potential financier. Construction on the first facility is expected to begin next year, as Van Der Sandt noted that the plant would be fully operational in three (3) years.

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Having long established that the nation remains Saridan's closest partner on the Artanian continent, State President Renier Geldenhuys expressed his intention to reaffirm and strengthen Saridan's economic, diplomatic and security cooperation with the Kingdom of Dorvik. In a statement issued by Merwerzuider House moments prior to his departure from Koeistad to Haldor, the State President stated that it was imperative that the federal government bring formality and certainty to its relationship with one of its most trusted partners. "To maintain an air of informality as it pertains to our relationship with Dorvik would be in every essence a disrespect to the closeness of our national bonds throughout modern/recent history. Our nations have benefitted greatly from the arrangements established under previous administrations, I believe it is time to begin formalising that relationship and transforming it into something far more concrete and predictable," the statement from Merwerzuider House read. Accompanying the State President on his week-long visit are Secretary for External Affairs Juane Van Heerden, Secretary for Trade and Industry Wilhelmina Opperman and Secretary for Defence Philippus Smuts. Secretary Van Heerden's presence impresses upon the importance of a formal agreement between Dorvik and Saridan on diplomatic relations. With the nations currently possessing no formal agreement, the respective ambassadors to both nations operate in a pseudo-grey area. According to Secretary Van Heerden, numerous options remain on the table as it relates to the type of agreement to be negotiated and eventually ratified by both nations. She noted that Saridan had every intention of ratifying the Dorvish Embassy Diplomatic Relations Treaty to address much of the formality issues related to Dorvik and Saridan's relationship but stated that she was willing to negotiate a more specific agreement with officials in Haldor should the need arise. Secretary Opperman's presence points to the need for Saridan to maintain a foothold within the Artanian markets. With the nation making herculean steps towards rebuilding its economy in both length and breadth, the need for Saridani products to have access to established and new/emerging markets remains an important priority for the Department of Trade and Industry. In a statement, Secretary Opperman said that by becoming closer to the Dorvik economy in terms of trade (importing and exporting), Saridani firms could gain extraordinary amounts of experience in operating in the Artanian market. "Artania, similar to the other continents is beginning to see an ever-increasing amount of economic activity, primarily spurred by the advent of more stable governments and greater ambitions for economic success by numerous governments throughout the world. Saridan is by no means an exception. The very nature of our economic model is dependent on access to new consumer markets as a means of boosting competition, allowing for firms to gain economies of scale and eventually specialise. Dorvik and Saridan possess great potential as vibrant trading partners," Opperman opined. Secretary Smuts' presence underpins the importance of defence in Dorvik and Saridan's established "informal" relationship. Defence cooperation has been the foundation of Dorvik and Saridan's current relationship. As the SDF (Saridan Defence Force) has continued to scale up its operations and capabilities, it has primarily relied upon its relationship with Dorvik and Dorvish Armed Forces as a means of inspiration. Numerous structures within the SDF, contain unique blends between Dorvish, Zardic and Hutorian concepts. Secretary Smuts believes that there is considerable room for both nations to take their security relationship beyond mere "pleasantries". He stated that he was eager to negotiate with Dorvish officials, a strategic partnership agreement similar to what had been negotiated between Dorvik and Keymon. "A defence relationship between Dorvik and Saridan which recognising and builds on our respective strengths can be the foundation upon which a new order could be built. Our relationship with ADG and other dorvish defence firms will only continue to reinforce the point that our nations need to bring this relationship into greater formality so that in the future it can be both seen and depended on," Smuts said. Smuts said beyond his meeting with his Dorvish counterpart, he intends to sit down with executives from ADG to discuss the company's future with the SDF. Smuts notes that Commandant-General of the Saridani Defence Force General Gerhardus Van Deventer has expressed his intention to seek out equipment from the company in rebuilding the SDF into a more capable, effective force.

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With the company's restructuring efforts well underway, the natural gas exploration and exploitation arm of Staatsolie has announced its intention to restart its operations in the South Ocean. Buoyed by recent commitments from the Industrial Finance Corporation (a subsidiary of the SBB - the State Investment Bank) to partially finance the company's production rebound in exchange for numerous assets held by the company, Staatsolie GMK (Staatsolie Gasmaatskappy) has stated that it believes that there was an immense opportunity for the company to potentially get a leg-up on the more established natural gas firms of the Northern Hemisphere. Pointing to the uncertainty surrounding the coup within Trigunia and the collapse of the nation's questionably naive technocratic government, the company noted that the announcement that Neftkomp, Trigunia's state-owned crude oil and natural gas company and one of the largest crude oil and natural gas producers in the world, intended to halt production until the situation within the country stabilises, there exists a major hole in global natural gas production which has, in turn, reduced global supply and hence driven upon global natural gas and crude oil prices. Although the crude oil production arm of Staatsolie, Staatsolie OPMK (Staatsolie Olieproduksiemaatskappy) has not announced its intention to restart production, the CEO of Staatsolie GMK Arnoux Vermaak believes that the situation in Trigunia and its effect on global natural gas prices presented the company with a unique opportunity to position itself as a potential alternative to Trigunian suppliers. In a press statement following the announcement, Vermaak stated that the relative near-collapse of the company had forced most, if not all of its production arms to halt operations in response to a lack of cash flow to address challenges related to infrastructure, technology and staffing. He noted that prior to Staatolie's restructuring, the company had undergone a major retrenchment exercise wherein the company let go of more than 50% of its staff in response to increasing pressure from the federal government to cut costs related to its operations. "The crude oil and natural gas business is an extremely capital-intensive operation. Governments incapable of understanding this core caveat of the sector often find themselves incapable of envisioning the long-term goal and ambitions of the sector. It is one of the few sectors within Saridan which truly requires consistent and long-term political and financial investment," Vermaak explained. In the press statement, Vermaak admitted that restarting Staatsolie's natural gas operations will be expensive but not as expensive as it would be to restart its crude oil operations. Pointing to the need for financing required to repair, refurbish and in many cases rebuild legacy equipment including the company's natural gas pipelines, refineries and bunkering facilities, Vermaak noted that the capital required to bring the entire company back online would be extraordinary. As much of the company's natural gas and crude oil infrastructure flows from Sint Pietereiland, a revival of Staatsolie's operations will undoubtedly become a major boon for the province. From contracting local companies to become involved in uncapping the company's natural gas wells, to refurbishing its natural gas refineries and expanding its fuel storage/bunkering facilities and more, Vermaak notes that Staatsolie GMK's recovery would lead the revival of Sint Pietereiland's economy. "From our work here will flow numerous opportunities for growth within Staatsolie, Sint Pietereiland and Saridan. Once we have become fully operational it is our intention to pivot into numerous fields including basic chemicals such as methanol, urea and nitric acids, blue hydrogen and other refined products; all from just our natural gas business alone. Ms Othelia Breytenbach of the Industrial Finance Corporation has given us assurances related to the potential to access loans and grants related to the crude oil and natural gas sector which we can use to finance our operations alongside loans from local and international financial institutions. Concurrently, the Board of Directors is contemplating selling some of our legacy assets in order to aid the restructuring process and get the entire company (including subsidiaries) back on its feet. Although production targets have not been announced by either Staatsolie GMK or Vermaak, insiders note that the company is potentially seeking to double its current production by exploration for new fields and potentially importing unrefined natural gas from Aldegar and extra-regional territories in order to fuel its ambitions in the downstream natural gas sector which remains Staatsolie GMK's single most important sector as it is where the subsidiary earned the vast majority of its wealth which was squandered by previous administrations.

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With the province's environmental protection watchdog having been satisfied with the company's environmental impact assessments, BVP an upcoming minor within Tasselstaat's infant minerals sector has been granted approval by the province's Department of Economic Affairs and Communications to begin its works towards developing an iron ore mine discovered on the northern coast of the province near the city of Heldengang. The prospecting license is historic for the province as it formally initiates the Tasselstaat Provincial Government's plans to transform the province into a major minerals producer, hence taking complete advantage of Tasselstaat's supposed mineral abundance. The mine in question, known to BVP as "Noordelike Inham" or "Northern Cove" is estimated to have a moderate among of iron ore deposits locked within its bedrock. The deposits were discovered last year following a survey conducted by BVP within the area. Since the discovery, there have been considerable challenges related to moving operations from prospecting to extraction. Much of this falls plainly on the province's environmental protection laws. As mentioned prior, Tasselstaat maintains some of the nation's most stringent environmental protection laws with the principal policy development and enforcement agency, the Tasselstaat Environmental Protection Authority (TOBS), insisting that the province's rules be respected by its emerging minerals extraction economy. "What is the sense of having such stringent environmental protection laws without enforcing them? The minerals extraction sector is known worldwide for its impact on the environment and sustainable development. Hence we have sought to ensure that although we maintain our hesitation to the sector's introduction into Tasselstaat, we remain steadfast in ensuring that our laws are observed, respected and enforced," Heinrich De Beers, Director-General of the Tasselstaat Environmental Protection Authority lamented. The mine is reported to contain around 10-12,000t of iron ore reserves. BVP stated that although it did not possess a domestic partner to whom the company can sell the iron ore extracted and refined from the mine, the company noted that there is mounting interest in the international market as numerous economies within the region begin to move once more. "Although the mine and its potential may seem minuscule to the more established mining firms of the world. For us, it is significant as it would be the first time we conduct such operations without a secondary partner. Usually, we have partnered with larger firms in prospecting and extraction operations, however, we believe that in order to obtain economies of scale, we must begin conducting our own operations," Itha Baatjies, CEO of BVP said during an interview. The company stated that it had sourced short-term financing from First International Bank and long-term financing from the Industrial Finance Corporation (a subsidiary of the State Investment Bank), who in exchange for 800 million SAD in long-term finance would be allowed to acquire a stake in BVP.

[Auditorii]

Der Globus: Saridani State President in Dorvik: the beginning of a New Era? (March, 5322)

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For Saridani Frontier Police officers Arnoux Van Der Sandt and Piet Van Biljon, being members of the frontier police harkened back to the stories told through the generations of their respective family's exploits as part of the once famed Tasselstaat Mounted Police. The Van Der Sandt and Van Biljon names go back centuries, dating to the times of the great trek into the interior of what is now known as Saridan by the nation's Duntrekker ancestors. According to ancestral accounts as well as accounts from the Frontier Police Museum, the Van Der Sandts and Van Biljons were notorious bounty hunters hired into the service of the Tasselstaat Mounted Police to hunt down and arrest its most notorious wanted criminals. Both Arnoux and Piet are members of the Saridani Frontier Police's Border Patrol Force serving in its recently reformed Mounted Patrol Unit. Amidst the sweeping reforms enacted within the nation's national security community a mere three years prior wherein the Saridani Border Police, the Saridani Transportation Police and other once independent law enforcement agencies were consolidated under the roof of the Frontier Police, the SFP was forced to adapt to the changing environment, even though it remained criminally underfunded amidst the reforms. With border protection now underneath the SFP's purview, alongside its traditional responsibilities for territorial policing, it was now also responsible for territorial and maritime border patrols. With the service being forced to make do with what little it had within the interim, its leadership had to develop intuitive measures which would enable the service to meet its objectives whilst remaining within the tight budgetary space allotted by the federal government. In the absence of a large fleet of helicopters from which the SFP can conduct large sweeps of the nation's borders, it was decided that the service would return to its roots whilst also bringing them into the modern age. The Border Patrol Force's Mounted Patrol Unit was henceforth established to conduct territorial patrols into the numerous geographic locations throughout Saridan's borders which are impassable for the BPF's conventional SUVs. Dirt bikes, ATVs and horses have become essential instruments in the SFP's arsenal. Officials like Officers Van Der Sandt and Van Biljon are usually posted near the Saridani-Aldegar border where the terrain/topography can become particularly difficult for bikes and ATVs. According to Officer Van Biljon, although that section of the border rarely sees much action, many of the hills, plateaus and mountains which little the landscape as breathtaking. "Its views like that why I'm often reminded me of the beauties and wonders of nature," Officer Van Biljon said, pointing to a beautiful vista of the snowcapped mountains of southern Aldegar in the distance. For sections of the border which are particularly difficult, the use of drone technology comes into play. While on their patrols, the SFP provides one of the two officers with a small drone which can be controlled via an app from their phones. Officer Van Der Sandt notes that although they can usually make out persons from far distances via their powerful SFP-BPF-issued binoculars, the drone enables them to provide recorded images and videos of movements and relay said information/data back to the BPF's headquarters in Ijkpieland. "Whilst we can often make out figures either by plain observation or our binoculars, the drones allow for us to take recorded videos and potentially scout beyond what we can see with our binoculars and could reach places not even we can reach, so it's really helpful in that regard," Officer Van Der Sandt explained. When questioned on their response to smugglers or illegal migrants, Van Der Sandt stated that once either a smuggler or illegal migrant is observed they notify their watch commander of the situation and immediately give pursuit. In the past, some smugglers encountered by the SFP-BPF have been heavily armed with either assault rifles, handguns or sniper rifles. This has promoted the SFP to provide BPF officers with high-powered rifles. Both Officers Van Der Sandt and Van Biljon carry their service pistols and tasers alongside their high-powered rifles; Officer Van Der Sandt carrying a modified R5 and Officer Van Biljon carrying a modified DM4. They state that although they've never had to use their assault rifles, they have been barred from entering their AO (Area of Operation) without them. "At the beginning of each day after we briefing, we have to sign out our rifles because we could be fined if we fail to have them on our person when on patrol. So aside from all of the equipment that goes in the saddle, these rifles must also accompany us," Van Biljon explained. Concurrently, the Mounted Patrol Unit comprises around 100 officers, all of whom receive their horsemanship training from Saridani Army instructors. Assistant National Commissioner and Director of the Border Patrol Force, Major-General Wilona Malherbe has stated that there are plans to expand the Mounted Patrol Unit to include around 300 officers however, due to budgetary constraints such ambitions remain shelved indefinitely.

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With the province's economy on track to make a specular rebound amidst a restart of operations within the manufacturing sector, numerous companies have taken note of the improving economic environment and have already begun to make moves to take advantage of the positive outlook. In a press statement earlier this morning, the Du Preez Iron Steel Company (Du Preez Ysterstaalmaatskappy - YSM Du Preez) announced that it has signed into a sale and purchase agreement with Swart & Kock Legal Services, the primary liquidator of Kaap Steel Inc, to acquire the company's iron and steel plants in Kaap, hence bringing Kaap Steel Inc, liquidation to its completion and transferring much of its legacy assets into the hands of the Du Preez family. The agreement was signed between Bast Du Preez, CEO and President of the Du Preez and Iron Steel Company and Ricus Van Ryneveld, a senior partner within Swart & Kock and the senior liquidator in charge of Kaap Steel Inc's assets. According to the press statement, the acquisition cost around 1.2 billion SAD, with YSM Du Preez becoming the sole owner of Kaap Steel's plants in Walvisplek, Malmerys and Klipberg. The acquisition, according to the press statement would make YSM Du Preez, the largest producer of iron and steel products in Saridan, from ingots to fixtures, as its existing assets would be augmented by those acquired from the Kaap Steel Inc. agreement. Particular focus is being placed on ensuring the acquired iron and steel plants could be converted to enable them to produce manufactured products whilst also reducing CO2 emissions. The vast majority of steel and iron plants throughout the world are primarily powered via coal-fired furnaces with a handful of cleaner burning natural-gas fired plants being in existence. Du Preez has stated that the company is prepared to approach the Saridani Government via the Green Finance Corporation and the Industrial Finance Corporations (both entities of the State Investment Bank) for financing aimed at converting the recently acquired plants from coal-fired furnaces to natural gas-fired furnaces. Staatshouer of Kaap, Stiaan De Klerk has expressed excitement over the acquisition of YSM Du Preez's plans for the acquired assets. He stated that the reopening of the vast majority of Kaap Steel Inc. facilities would be a major boon to the province's economy and could aid in the provincial government's economic recovery plans. It has been estimated that general refurbishments, repairs and reconstruction could generate around 1,00 to 3,000 temporary jobs within Kaap's economy, with around 700 permanent jobs arising out of the company's operations once all plants become operational. Du Preez stated that once the acquired assets have become operational, should the State Investment Bank approve its requests for financing, the company would undergo a major restructuring exercise which would seek to transform YSM Du Preez into a vertically integrated company, as the Du Preez family has expressed significant interest in becoming involved throughout the entire supply chain from extraction to the manufacturing of final products. "The acquisition of these strategic assets from the now defunct Kaap Steel Inc represents the beginning of a new era for the company and my family's business. We have every intention of making a positive turnaround for these acquired assets and will not rest until they have become sustainable entities upon which we can rely on a steady stream of incoming. Our intention is to restructure the entire Du Preez Iron and Steel Company and establish a holding company which would allow us to become involved throughout the supply chain, from extracting the iron ore to the manufacturing of final products." Du Preez said during an interview.

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On the heels of the company's plans to begin operations in international fields, the Staatsolie has announced its intention to enter the Aldegar crude oil and natural gas market amidst an improvement in the environment for new investment owing to the return of stable governance in the central Seleyan energy powerhouse. Recently, information hit the international news waves of the Aldegarian government's intention to deregulate the nation's crude oil and natural gas sector, thus reigniting the prospect of the revival of the nation's once influential energy market. With much of the work related to establishing the company's formal operations, namely the redevelopment of the company's offshore crude oil and natural gas platforms, the company is now set to focus on extraction efforts in foreign territories with the hopes of fueling the company's ambitions to become a major producer of crude oil and natural gas products. In a statement earlier this morning, the company stated that it had signed off on an agreement to acquire two minor energy companies in Aldegar (Bodigama Petroleum and Diptee Explorations) and had intentions to merge the companies into a singular subsidiary known as the Vorster-Surdas Oil Company. Group CEO for Staatsolie, Dr Ruben De Klerk stated that the company would be primarily responsible for Staatsolie's operations in Aldegar. "Anything related to our business in Aldegar will be managed through Vorster-Surdas Oil Company. This is an extremely important market and thus it is our belief that the company be able to exercise a degree of freedom which would allow for it to garner the most benefit for the company and the people of both Aldegar and Saridan," he added. De Klerk spoke to great lengths about the intention and ambitions behind the company's future operations, adding that the company would become involved along the entire supply chain from extraction and bunkering to processing and distribution. "We want to ensure the company maintains a diverse portfolio of operations whereby it can secure its future in the market and deliver a degree of permanency to what we are attempting to achieve here," De Klerk said. In the interim, the vast majority of the natural gas and crude oil extracted from Aldegarian fields will be refined and liquified in Aldegar before being transported/shipped to Saridan where they will be used to create basic chemicals and petroleum products respectively. The company is set to obtain a loan from numerous financial institutions including First International and Industrial Finance Corporation to finance the construction of LNG trains and pipeline infrastructure intended to move gas and crude oil from their respective onshore fields to processing facilities. With VSOC's board comprised of numerous personnel from Staatsolie including Dr Ruben De Klerk as a Director and Staatsolie Group Chairman Dr Stiaan Oosthuizen as the board's chair, matters related to the company's executive management are currently being resolved. Dr Oosthuizen revealed that Ronella Degenaar will serve as the company's President with Shadi Daruwala, a native of Aldegar set to serve as the company's Executive Vice President. Daruwala's appointment as Executive Vice President comes as the company has expressed its intention to be representative in its operations. "Ms Daruwala enters the position with a wealth of experience having worked in this sector for much of her adult life," Dr Oosthuizen explained. According to Dr Oosthuizen, the company will give back to Aldegar via CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) in the form of opportunities for young Aldegarian to apprentice in the company's less industrial-intensive activities.

[Drax]

Saridan's Steel Manufacturers Selling In Dundorf

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[Rogue]

Koeistad: Andries Oosthuizen has been elected RVB party leader in the first nationwide primary election held by the RVB in a century. For decades the party had only operated on the local level, having been vanquished as a national party for quite some time. But thanks in large part to Oosthuizen himself, the party made an effort to once again appear on the national ballot, deciding to hold a nationwide primary election to select its new leader. The RVB has a history of organizing primaries for major party positions, based on its "movement for the people" principle. Oosthuizen faced off against Sint Pietereiland native Corli Bronkhorst. During the primary process, the country is divided into 485 party constituencies, with each constituency deliving 1 representative to vote in the primary congress. Suprisingly enough the primary contest was extremely close, with Oosthuizen narrowly winning with 244 representatives against Bronkhorst her 241. Especially Bronkhorst her landslide performance on Sint Pietereiland brought the two closer together in the final result. As a measure to preserve party unity, Oosthuizen has announced that he would appoint Bronkhorst as State Secretary (head of government) if the RVB wins the upcoming elections, thus making her his "running mate". The party is currently writing their platform but if Oosthuizen his political history is to be believed the newly revived RVB will focus on a stronger federal government, economic renewal through laisezz faire policies and an enhancement of the diplomatic corps to allow for Saridan to become a important player in the region and the globe on the long term. The campaign is already going full steam as Oosthuizen prepares for the presidency.


The primary election result, with Oosthuizen narrowly winning