Aloria

[IntruderEmerald]

ALORIAN GOVERNMENT TO GO AHEAD WITH NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT


Building work has started near Craigtref Central Station

The government has announced plans for a national infrastructure project, which will start imminently with the aim of improving transport links, building more hospitals and investing in green energy. The first phase will involve improving rail links around the capital, Craigtref. The plan will see a new fleet of trains being commissioned, alongside building more rail links between Craigtref and commuter cities and towns in surrounding areas. Critics of the plan say investment in other regions, instead of Caermoel, should take priority, however the government say this is only the "first phase of a long-term infrastructure project which will provide jobs and improve the lives of people in all corners of Aloria".

Investment into green energy will focus on building more offshore wind turbines off the Sildar and Cymertraeth coast. Alongside this, the government plans to phase out coal power plants by 4660. The government say this will be done in a way that will "be kind to people's livelihoods". Despite this, many are critical of this approach. A consumer watchdog group released a statement saying "in Aloria we enjoy relatively cheap energy bills due our abundance of natural resources which power our national grid. Economically, it is not a sensible decision to then ignore our natural advantage and to pursue down a path that could lead to higher prices for consumers."

[IntruderEmerald]

New figures released today show the economy grew by 0.9% in the second quarter of 4649, up from 0.7% in the first quarter. This comes after 4648, where GDP grew 1.4% in total over the course of the entire year. Making a speech in Craigtref at the Alorian Economic Forum, the president struck an upbeat tone saying "due to Libertarian Party values, the economy is growing faster than it has for many years, meaning we can invest more in public services and continue with our work to make Aloria a great country once again."

Despite this, there are still major concerns over stagnant wage growth, a weak currency and unemployment still at high levels. The government say its "National Infrastructure Project" will create thousands more jobs over the course of the next ten years. The first phase of the project is currently underway, with new railway lines being built in Caermoel, and old ones being replaced. A new fleet of trains "fit for the future" will be commissioned with private companies competing for the franchise.

[IntruderEmerald]

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The government has announced it plans to close remaining nationalised coal pits, as they are no longer profitable. Due to the cheap imports of coal, the government say it makes no economic sense to keep coal mines open and they hope to close them "in a way which minimises the damage to people's livelihoods". This comes after new figures which show many privatised coal mines have closed in the recent years, with the rate of closures increasing in the last 2 years, since the Libertarian government came to power.

Some are arguing for protectionist tariffs to be implemented in order to protect the Alorian coal industry, but the Libertarians say this would only increase prices for the consumers and delay the inevitable - "demand for coal is falling due to less and less of our energy being created by fossil fuels, and importing coal is more economically viable. Due to the combination of these two factors, the unfortunate closure of coal mines is inevitable." Many trade unions are already considering strike action against the closure, however the government are cautiously optimistic this can be avoided by agreeing a deal to support workers after they have left the industry.

[IntruderEmerald]

The National Union of Coal Workers has voted by an overwhelming majority to back strike action next week against the decision to close coal mines. The government say the decision to close the mines is "necessary" due to remaining nationalised coal mines being "economically unviable". Furthermore, the government say that protecting the environment is a key priority, meaning the closure of coal mines is "inevitable". Strike action will take place next week, with further action looking likely due to both sides not backing down from their original positions.

[IntruderEmerald]

[IntruderEmerald]

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It has been confirmed that the government is to sell of nationalised Alorian coal mines to the Kazulian company Alternex Verdalros, in a bid to save jobs. The government say the privatisation of the industry will raise millions of ALO for the government, and will save the taxpayer millions in the long-term as, according to the government, coal mining in Aloria is "no longer economically viable". The National Union of Coal Miners has halted potential strike action until the details of the takeover emerge. It is thought those currently employed in the coal mines will be guaranteed to keep their jobs. Critics of the plan have said they would prefer the industry to be sold to an Alorian company, however the government have said in the past that finding an Alorian buyer "has proved to be extremely difficult".

There is now much speculation that the Alorian government would like to increase ties with Kazulia. Sources from the Foreign Office say there is hope that talks about a new trade deal with Kaluzia could start "in the near future". Recently, the president signalled his intentions to strengthen ties with the nation.

[IntruderEmerald]

Wage growth overtakes inflation in second quarter of 4650



After years of economic gloom and depression, wages have finally begun to grow faster than inflation. In the second quarter of this year (April - June), wages grew by 3.6% (up from 3.2%) while inflation was 3.4% (up from 3.3%), meaning wages grew 0.2% in real terms. The government have said this shows their economic policy is proving to be working, however the president admits there is still more work to do, indicating budget cuts may be coming.

These figures show our policy of cutting taxes and legislating to create a country worth investing in is paying off. However, we acknowledge we need to continue with our work and there will be difficult decisions to make in the near future about our spending commitments.

- President Trev Griffith

The new figures are good news for the government with the election upcoming next February, however the overall economic picture is far from perfect. While the economy is growing, albeit at a slower than desired rate, unemployment remains high and wages still remain low. The governments aim of reducing the national debt is not yet happening and the deficit is still at a level higher than when the government came to power. All in all, there are reasons for positivity, and the economy is certainly moving in the right direction, we are still in difficult economic times and the end is not in sight just yet.

[IntruderEmerald]

In order to cut the deficit, the government has proposed cuts worth over 6bn ALO in its budget this year, with the president warning "tough decisions" need to be made, and more cuts will come in the future. This includes 2bn ALO each for healthcare, education and science & technology. This comes after the government implemented tax cuts over the last two years, alongside increases in infrastructure spending in order to fund the government's National Infrastructure Project. This has led to the deficit rising until last year, where the deficit started to fall slightly due to increases in tax revenues caused by rising GDP and a slight fall in unemployment.

Finance Minister Quirin Böcker outlined plans to make further cuts next year, in the event the Libertarians are reelected next February. Whilst Mr Böcker acknowledged that the cuts would hurt, he said it was "necessary" due to the "mess created by socialism". The government says the cuts in healthcare will be offset by plans to lift the ban on private healthcare, meaning some of the weight on the national healthcare service will be lifted.

[IntruderEmerald]

NEWSFEED

Number of police officers to be cut by 20,000 by 4655 if Libertarians win next election

The Libertarians have said "difficult decisions" will need to be made to cut the deficit, and one of the ways to do this is to cut the number of public sector workers. Therefore, they say it is necessary to cut the number of police officers by 20,000 over the next four years should they win the election. It is thought the cuts to public sector workers will not stop there, with the numbers of doctors, nurses, teachers and prison officers to also be cut. Critics of the president's policy point out Aloria already has high unemployment, with latest figures released today showing it stands at 9.3%.

Unemployment falls slightly to 9.3%



Unemployment has fell to 9.3%, down from 9.4% in the previous quarter. It is some way off the government's target of reducing unemployment to 5%, however the president said "progress is slowly but surely being made". Since the Libertarians took office in 4647, unemployment rose sharply and then has slowly start to fall. The government's announce that they will cut public sectors workers could lead to a rise in unemployment, although many economists think this could be offset by the forecasted rise of employment in the private sector.

Concerns about coal industry monopoly after Kazulian takeover

There are growing concerns the coal industry is heading into a situation where the Kazulian company Alternex Verdalros could have a monopoly. Since the Alorian Coal Board (ACB) was sold off by the government to the Kazulian company, the coal industry in Aloria has been 100% owned by private companies. Many of the small, privately-owned coal mines are struggling to stay profitable and it is rumoured that Alternex could potentially purchase the rest of the coal mines in Aloria.

[Rogue]

Aldegar to close off canal for all military vessels, puts tax on goods passing through from several nations