Saridan

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Mounting an extremely powerful economic revive and development programme is of utmost importance to the recently elected Liberal government in the province of Kaap. In recognising the moves of other provinces, particularly Ijkpieland's aggressive push towards agriculture and Tasselstaat's pivot towards the green economy, Stadtholder of Kaap, Ottoline Hanekom announced that the province would be reorienting its economy away from its traditional role as a light manufacturing centre towards a mixture of heavy industry and manufacturing. Stadtholder Hanekom notes the decision to transition towards being a manufacturing/heavy industry-based economy comes amidst the numerous opportunities coming out of possessing a developed manufacturing sector. The announcement occurred on the backdrop of numerous factory closures throughout the province, which led to numerous business officials suggesting that the new provincial government was "insane". Pieter Van Heerden, CEO of the Van Heerden Textile Company explained that Kaap's economy was far too stagnant for a manufacturing revival as he noted that he had to relocate his factory to another province due to the numerous challenges facing businesses. The manufacturing sector in the province was almost decimated at the hands of previous administrations failing to provide amble stimulus and wide-ranging reforms to ensure the province remained a preferred location for business to establish manufacturing plants. Despite the negative outlook of the sector, Provincial Minister of Business, Investment and Innovation, Brunelda Van Vollenhoven notes that the manufacturing sector can play an extremely pivot role in the province's economy and could potentially lead to greater economic growth in the national economy. She explained that larger, more developed economies such as Yingdala, Kalistan, Badara, Endralon, Liore and Hutori, owe much of their continued economic growth to their local manufacturing sectors. From weapons manufacturing to the creation of digital technologies, the manufacturing sectors of the aforementioned economic powerhouses can be directly attributed to the relative strength of their manufacturing sectors. Minister Van Vollenhoven stated that although the local manufacturing sector was not as developed as the aforementioned nations, there remains an extremely slim chance whereby the provincial government could mount an economic revival on the back of the manufacturing sector by learning from the actions of the much larger nations.

In addressing the inherent problems of the local manufacturing sector, there must be a considerable amount of attention being paid towards foreign direct investment. Van Vollenhoven explained that whilst the provincial government would provide for stimuli alongside funding from the federal government, much of the investment needed to mounting the manufacturing revolution in Kaap will have to come from external sources; foreign direct investment (FDI). She stated that the Ministry of Business, Investment and Innovation would be making strong and determined pushed towards expanding the reach of products originating from Kaap. Similar to Tasselstaat and its trade office in Lourenne for technical assistance on the green economy and attraction companies which operate in that sector to the province, Minister Van Vollenhoven explained that her ministry is also seeking to establish numerous trade and investment offices throughout the world, particularly in the larger economies. She stated that the provincial government intends on working alongside the Federal Minister of Labour, Business and Energy She also stated that the provincial government was seeking advice from the Federal Government on improving the ease of doing business in the province. She explained that there is a need to transform the province into a competitive spot for foreign direct investment; to enjoy persons to establish businesses in the province, the provincial government must make it earlier and more convenient. Apart from courting investment from foreign sources, Van Vollenhoven stated that the provincial government would ensure domestic businesses would have an advantage over foreign companies. She explained that the provincial government would seek to ensure that home-grown companies would be at the forefront of the province's push towards growth. It is being proposed that a provincial government agency should be created to provide much-needed assistance in numerous areas including information, advice and funding.

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"The informal economy, the numerous economic activities which occur outside the regulation and protection of the federal and provincial governments, account for more than 3/5 of economic activity in Saridan." These were the words of Governor of the Reserve Bank of Saridan, Dr Marick Liebenberg as he disclosed the contents of the Reserve Bank's recent report on financial inclusion. The report entitled "Generational Informality: The Informal Economy and Inclusion", explains the current situation in the informal economy of Saridan and seeks to provide a much clearer picture of the origins and consequences of the informal economy's rise to primacy in Saridan. The report begins by outlining the impetus for the development of the informal economy in Saridan. It explains that amidst decades of mismanagement at the hands of the central government numerous factors have combined to cause the formation of such a large informal economy. It notes that a lack of routine reforms had allowed known loopholes in the existing legislation governing economic activity and labour allowed for numerous businesses with questionable motives and actions to foster in a "grey area". The lack of enforcement of rules aimed at ensuring businesses remain compliant with numerous administrative cheques and balances including the payment of taxation, employee benefits and health contributions allowed for employers to prey on employees, whom amidst their own difficult socio-economic situation, could offer little objection to what could easily be determined as violation of workplace policy, labour protection laws and taxation compliance. It also went onto explain the relationship between education and the informal economy. It posited that due to the lack of diverse/unique economic opportunities in Saridan, individuals with little to no education often found themselves being locked out of the formal economy as noted that many of the employment opportunities in the formal economy required some form of advanced educational certification; be it a degree or reasonable grades from secondary schooling. The stain of poverty and the lack of government assistance as it pertains to tuition-free and higher education has also contributed to the wider development of the informal economy.

Focusing primarily as it pertains to taxation, Federal Minister of Finance, Dr Adriaan Stuyvesant stated that having read the report, it paints an extremely difficult situation for the government going into the future. He explained that due to the lack of taxation in the informal economy, the government was losing billions of dollars in potential taxation. Dr Stuyvesant noted that the growth of the informal economy had led to issues as it pertains to social welfare benefits payments and pension payments. As it exists, the current system is based on a double approach of mandatory contributions from an employer and optional contributions from the owner of the account. Stuyvesant stated that with the majority of labourers being within the informal economy, contributions to the National Insurance Service and the state pension system are at an all-time low. "In instances where persons would require benefits from the state, there is either little to no money for the government to disburse from the NIS and when it comes to pensions withdrawals, many persons often find themselves being unable to access pensions." Federal Minister of Labour, Dr Frederich Breytenbach noted that there are many instances where employers knowingly continue to take advantage of their employees, denying them the right to become contributors and beneficiaries of the NIS scheme and thus forcing many individuals into poverty upon retirement. Dr Breytenbach stated that the process to formalise the informal economy would be wide-ranging and extremely difficult. He explained that the process would see the transformation of the existing pension system and would also need to be bolstered by a significant amount of stimulus. It would also require a monumental effort to transform numerous pillars of society such as education, skill training and labour productivity. "I recognise the importance of the task at hand and I believe that with enough dedication we can see through this transformation." Dr Breytenbach was appointed three weeks prior, with many noting that his appointment was in anticipation of the publishing of the Reserve Bank report. Dr Breytenbach is a labour economist and retired professor of labour economics at the University of Boerestaat.

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State President Ruben Van Ryneveld has elevated former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Anneline Blok to the position of Minister-President and head of Saridan's Government in what many have noted as his first cabinet reshuffle in preparation for the government's thrust into addressing the numerous issues related to Saridan's socio-economic development. Before Blok's appointment, Van Ryneveld had been slow to appoint a head of government, as the constitution mandates however temporary reforms to the constitution as it pertains to the appointment of a head of government allowed for Van Ryneveld to act as the quasi-head of government in his capacity as executive head of state. Last month, the Volksraad amended the constitution to mandate the appointment of a Minister-President within one to three months of the State President's appointment to office. Blok's appointment as head of government comes amidst the rapid approach of a renewed effort by Van Ryneveld to reignite Saridan's transformation. During his initial campaign to become State President, Van Ryneveld promised an extremely transformational period in Saridan's history. Vowing to detoxify society and distance the nation from its xenophobic/racist past, he was elected with complete control of the Volksraad alongside independent members in both chambers of the parliament. The appointment of a Minister-President, according to political scientists, signals the beginning of the government's implementation phase. Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Boerestaat, Adam Vlok, explained that Van Ryneveld wanted to ensure that in transforming Saridan into a functioning and efficient democracy that there was a clear distinction between policy directives and implementation. He continued by highlighting the fact that the federal constitution notes that although the State President shall provide direction on the government's agenda (as the executive), as it pertains to the implementation of said agenda, a Minister-President must be appointed. Although Blok has spent the majority of her tenure in international relations, her appointment points to her familiarity with the various bureaucratic systems of government. Speaking from the "Laerhof" (the Lower Court), the new official residence of the head of government, Minister-President Anneline Blok announced the minor cabinet reshuffle which had taken place amidst her appointment to the office. In accepting the appointment as Minister-President, Blok resigned from her position as Foreign Affairs Minister, and would now appoint Nelius Van Jaarsveld as the new Foreign Affairs Minister. Home Affairs Minister Tinus Van Heerdens, who had resigned due to health concerns related to cancer would be replaced by Louw Kruger. In the coming months, both the State President and the Minister-President are expected to address the nation on the way forward as it pertains to Saridan's growth and development.

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With the national cattle population in retrograde amidst a series of calamitous events chipped away at the herd population, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture approved the importation of cattle from Lourenne in an attempt to begin the process of regenerating the herd population through breeding. Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Daniël Zietsman explained that the Federal Government had been in deep consultations with Lourenne's Royal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Chateau Madeline for the importation of some 5,000 dairy cows. The Minister explained the agreement signed off by the Cabinet would allow for Lourennais dairy cows to be bred with Saridani cows via artificial insemination. Although dairy cows are bred for a specific purpose, the Minister explained that the government had been seeking a permanent solution as opposed to having to import cattle from Lourenne over a sustained period of time. The decline in the native cattle population in Saridan can be attributed to two instances of human negligence: (i) a lack of infection monitoring and (ii) pressures from the beef and cowhide industries (both legal and illegal). The Agricultural University of Ijkpieland estimates notes that a large percentile of Saridan's beef and dairy cattle population contracted varying diseases such as bloat, hantavirus and mad cow's disease over a sustained period of time leading to their eventual deaths. It notes that the inherent lack of the central government at the time to identify and treat the aforementioned diseases was a major contributing factor in the speed at which the shrinking of the cattle population took place as it posited that had the central government, particularly the Ministry of Food and Agriculture intervened and applied treatment to the numerous cases, the cattle population would still remain in a relatively stable size today. The National Animal Welfare Network notes that increased demand for cowhide and various organs/body parts of cattle also led to the eventual shrinking of the national herd population. It explained that numerous organs such as the intestines and hooves were being sourced from numerous uses such as the string on tennis rackets and fire extinguishing foam respectively. It notes that where cattle couldn't be sourced on the open market domestically, thieves resorted to "kidnapping"/stealing cattle from various state-owned and privately owned farm. Without sufficient enforcement, it soon became an extremely beneficial black market business. Minister Zietsman notes that the cattle being imported from Lourenne will be under the remit of a state-owned farm with 24/7 monitoring for diseases and protection against poachers. As it pertains to the breeding process, the Minister stated that veterinarians from the Agricultural University of Ijkpieland are expected to oversee the entire process in developing a species of cattle more resistant to the types of disease commonly found in Saridan.

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In the backdrop of the nation's deteriorating economic situation, Minister-President Anneline Blok announced alongside Federal Minister of Finance Dr Adriaan Stuyvesant, that the Saridan dollar (SAD) would be devalued as the government sought to act on the nation's overvalued currency and to prevent a dramatic correction in the future. The devaluation, according to some economists, could see a major increase in the cost of living as the price of goods and services will increase amidst a decrease in the value of the SAD against the LOD. Dr Stuyvesant stated that he wanted to hold out against a devaluation of the SAD and continue defending the SAD on the international market, however, he explained that defending the currency on the market against market forces would be extremely costly and would put significant pressure against Saridan's foreign exchange reserves. Governor of the Reserve Bank of Saridan, Dr Marick Liebenberg stated that it would be a "managed float" and would not be a "free-float" as some financial experts have been calling for. Dr Liebenberg explained that a free-float would be far too dangerous due to the volatility of the international foreign exchange market. He noted that should the international market see a downward trend in the price of steel or crude oil, it could create considerable difficulty and harm for weak currencies in free-float. Minister-President Blok stated that the newly formed Economic Advisory Board was actively seeking advice from foreign exchange experts on the potential pegging of the SAD against a strong currency. She noted that advanced discussions were underway to measure the strength of a nation's currency. Finance Minister Stuyvesant noted that the Lodamese Dollar (LOD), although quasi-considered a "reserve currency", could not be considered stable. He explained that once the market "comes to its senses" and realises that, the LOD is in store for a serious correction/devaluation. In response to the anticipated increase in the cost of living, Dr Stuyvesant stated that the Federal Government would be introducing a series of subsidies to help coax the population into living with a devalued SAD. Federal Minister of Business, Innovation and Energy, Mattys King stated that the devaluation had a plus-side. He explained that it would allow for exports to become "reasonable" and would seriously curtail imports, forcing producers to source products domestically.

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Earlier this morning, speaking at a brief press conference from the Laerhof, Minister-President Anneline Blok in a demonstration that she is prepared to tackle the nation's economic problems head-on, announced the formation of a new economic advisory board. "I believe that we owe the population a clear and understandable pathway forward to ensure that everyone is aware of what we'd like to do and how we intend on achieving our goals," Minister-President Blok explained. "The very concept of "fixing Saridan" entails reforms across the board from the public sector to the private sector and I believe we can achieve cooperation between these two entities through the formation of this economic advisory board." The Economic Advisory Board, according to the Minister-President will report to her on policy proposals which it believes will be for the benefit of Saridan's economic growth. Chairing the EAB would be former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Saridan, Dr Andries Coetzee. Acting as Deputy Chairman of the EAB would be Senior Political Advisor to the Minister-President, Zander Muller. Other members of the EAB are incumbent Federal Minister of Finance Dr Adriaan Stuyvesant; Dr Daniël Scholtz, Professor of Applied Econometrics at the University of Boerestaat; Ricus Du Toit, Professor of Public Administration at the Boerestaat; Rosalie Haarhoff, Professor of Labour Economics and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Relations at the Public University of Kaap; Pangee Goosen, Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics at the University of Ijkpieland; and Sebastian Van Den Berg, Director of the Centre for Industrial Research. When questioned on the appointment of Zander Muller as the Deputy Chairman of the EAB, Minister-President Blok stated that his presence on the board allows for the economic decisions to be contextualised into the current political climate. She noted that in the excitement of proving wide-ranging economic solutions to the nation's problems, the EAB runs the risk of being out of sync with the opinions of the general public, thus Muller acts as a counterweight. It is expected that the Economic Advisory Board will present a detailed roadmap for the Saridani economy going into the future.

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Over the coming months, the Saridan Army is set to conduct a "stress-test" of its existing equipment in what is being dubbed as the first major military exercise since its reformation underneath Chief of the Defence Staff General Johan Meyer (SA). According to statements from the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff, Exercise Bobcat is aimed at (i) testing the concept developed by the Saridan Army as it pertains to combined arms and (ii) allowing for soldiers to refamiliarise themselves with legacy equipment. Chief of the Army, Lt. General Aitan Pienaar, the Saridan Army had been stressing the importance of a combined arms doctrine moving forward. He noted that the combined arms doctrine would see infantry units (primarily mechanized) working alongside armoured units (main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles) and support aircraft (helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft). He highlighted the fact that General Meyer's vision of the Saridan Defence Force was one that was small but extremely combat effective. Lt. General Pienaar explained that the only way to achieve the degree of lethality General Meyer envisioned was through a combined arms approach. Speaking to the use of legacy equipment, Lt. General Pienaar noted that some of the equipment currently within the stocks of the SDF Reserves are capable of being utilised in the reformed structure. He explained that the Defence Material Agency had been in advanced discussions with the Federal Ministry of Defence in the procurement of new equipment. He hinted that the Saridan Army could look completely different in the next 10-20 years amidst the reforms currently taking place. With mechanized infantry formations being the backbone of the Saridan Army, it is expected that the procurement of newer, more capable armoured vehicles will be a priority for the Defence Material Agency. The exercise is expected to last for roughly a month according to officials from the Federal Ministry of Defence. A brief demonstration of some of the "mini-exercises" to take place underneath the larger umbrella of Exercise Bobcat was granted to media personnel. Troops of the 2nd Pantserinfanteriebataljon simulated an assault against any enemy position. During the assault infantry units (dismounted from their mechanized vehicles) swept through the formation with overwatch from the aforementioned mechanized vehicles and successfully cleared the enemy position before remounting. It is expected that as these exercises become more and more numerous the lethal sting of the Saridan mechanized infantry units would be realised.

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Ministry of Cows inquires in to welfare of Saridan's shipped cows, warns about dangers of "Bovine Pain Waves"

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Federal Minister of Labour Viktor Arjoon announced that the government intends on rolling out an ambitious apprenticeship programme with assistance from the private sector in a move that numerous labour market economists believe will boost the number of skilled workers in Saridan and address the nation's skill deficit. The plan comes amidst a damning report from the Centre for Economic Research warning that Saridan's brain drain and a general lack of opportunity within the domestic economy was shrinking the nation's skilled labour pool. The report noted that due to the relative stagnation of the national economy, Saridan's workforce was inching towards a collapse. It warned that a lack of skilled individuals brought about by chronic inefficiencies in the education system was creating the impetus for underemployment. Speaking at a seminar at the University of Boerestaat, Minister Arjoon stated that the report's findings had confirmed his own suspicions on the state of the labour market. Minister Arjoon, a labour economist, noted that since his appointment as Federal Minister of Labour, the federal government had been hard at work creating solutions to the many problems identified in the CER's report. It was at this seminar that he announced the government's apprenticeship programme alongside the various business chambers operating in Saridan. The programme targets persons 18 and over who do not possess standard educational qualifications and its principal task is upscaling the skills of Saridani citizens in order to ensure they are prepared to take advantage of the employment opportunities coming out of the future economy.

Unlike previous apprenticeship programmes which were primarily run in silos by separate government entities, the new system exists on the federal level and places all programmes under one roof. The Vocational Education and Skills Training Scheme as it will be known will consist of three parts: specialised training academies, on-the-job training and civilian service. Specialised training academies are to be established to train young persons in various skills such as woodworks, web design, coding and other related trades. On-the-job training will consist of persons working in private sector businesses, mainly small and medium-sized businesses where they will work alongside a tutor (mainly an experienced employee of the company) in garnering various skills. Civilian service will see persons who don't choose the two aforementioned options to be integrated into the public service to work in government departments and subordinate entities. According to Minister Arjoon, the apprenticeship system shall exist to "catch" persons who either refuse to move onto tertiary education and those who could not attain the qualifications to move onto tertiary education. The scheme is to be implemented (with variation should they choose) by the various provincial labour ministries with the Federal Ministry of Labour acting in an oversight role. Federal Minister for Education and Culture, Dr Minenhle De Kock noted that the tertiary education route would remain as it was a right the government cannot infringe upon. She noted that the aim of the scheme is to allow for persons who could not access tertiary education for any reason to be viewed as equals in the eyes of employers when placed alongside persons with university degrees. She stated that the programme seeks to ensure that persons don't fall between the cracks but are guided onto a stable path for their respective futures.

Federal Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Wikus Koekemoer stated that the government had set aside some 10 billion dollars for the funding of the apprenticeship scheme. He noted that the fund will cover expenses for persons including housing and salaries as the government is set to be apprentices for their service on behalf of the companies they register underneath. A considerable amount of funding is set to be funnelled into the green and blue economies and strengthening businesses to ensure that apprentices can access opportunities in new and emerging markets. Minister Koekemoer explained that the government wanted to ensure that apprentices had as much opportunity as the federal government could provide. "Concurrently, we are seeing a trend in tertiary education. The government is covering tuition expenses for persons to attain university education, even paying for scholarships to universities outside of Saridan. Once persons have completed their education, in many instances they do not remain in Saridan to put their skills to work in the domestic market. We are haemorrhaging. Whilst we are currently in consultation with stakeholders in the education system, I hope that it isn't the case for this new scheme as I believe it strikes the right tone on this government's determination to build an extremely skilled workforce." According to preliminary data collected from the various Provincial Labour Ministries, around 800,000 persons are expected to enter the apprenticeship scheme in the coming months.