Rutania

[Independent P]

Peoples Democratic Party releases manifesto

[colonelvesica]

Path considers expansion to Rutania

[Auditorii]

Vanderburg Evening Standard
Rutanian's leading newspaper...
Rutanian Conservative Party forms in the wake of caretaker's collapse
July, 4954

Vanderburg, Khodor - Leaders of the Rutanian Conservative Party have confirmed that the Interior Ministry has authorized a snap general election in the wake of the collapse of the caretaker government. The leadership of the Rutanian Conservative Party, veteran political operative Casper Matthews and long-time ally and Rutanian politician Til Baumhauer, have promised a "...return to normalcy." in the wake of near economic collapse, the shattered of public order and security as well as the general apathy that the current caretaker government has displayed. At a massive rally held in the Rutanian capital, Casper Matthews promised that they would hold a constitutional referendum on the form of government, the RCP advocating for the development of a Fort William-style government due to the historical ties between Luthori and would fit the model of the Dundorfian system found in Dorvik and found in Dundorf at times. Baumhauer, a life-long Rutanian of Dundorfian descent has described Rutania as a "...cosmopolitan society focused on the diverse nature of Artanian ethnicities from across the continent. We must stand for unity through our diverse strength." Rutania has often been seen as the "...melting pot..." of Rutania due its wide berth of Artanian ethnicites that call the nation home, notably a large portion of ethnic Rutanian's with Luthorian and Dundorfian descent. In recent years there has been an influx of Narik, Malivian, Endralonian and other ethnic groups that have sought refuge in the country with a rather lacking central government.

Baumhauer, who is likely to become Prime Minister, has stated that the restoration of basic services is the first thing that must be done when elections are called. He has charged former Rutanian National Police Service Commissioner Henny Moldenhauer as the potential Minister of the Interior and has called on her to handle the restoration of basic services, implement a brand new civil service system and called on her to take charge of the disastrous police forces throughout the country which are experiencing a number of corruption and abuse of authority issues. Baumhauer has also taken long-time Artanian Bank Vice President of Development and Emerging Economies Christian Davidson, and Senior Vice President of Development and Emerging Economies Fabi Hönigmann as the Finance Minister and Trade and Industry Minister respectively. The task before the two men is tremendous as the Rutanian economy faces wide-scale unemployment, turmoil in tax and basic financial services as well as other banking issues, the two men will be staring down the barrel of a metaphorically loaded gun when it comes to tackling the financial issues that face Rutania.

Former Rutanian Army Colonel Kaspar Weisz has been tapped to lead the Ministry of Defense and undertake a review of re-organization of the Rutanian Armed Forces (RAF) as a whole, a situation that the Rutanian government is cautious about.

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Artanian Business News
Artania's leading business news
Commonwealth Development Agency's head announced
August 4954

Vanderburg, Khodor - Prime Minister of the Commonwealth Til Baumhauer has announced that Brandon Cunningham has been appointed as the Director of the Commonwealth Development Agency (CDA), an economic development and business improvement public benefit corporation. Cunningham will work jointly with the Ministries of Finance and Trade, Industry and Economic Development to direct both domestic and foreign investment into Rutania in a number of sectors. Rutania's economy has largely been focused on timber and lumber-related products, including being the worlds leading paper producer and natural resources including one of the worlds most important uranium miners. Green energy has been a focal point of Cunningham's discussions with the the new Rutanian government, notably driving investment in the solar and hi-tech battery sectors which have traditionally been avoided and neglected in Rutania. Cunningham also noted that several defense industries, including Artanian Defense Group, were interested in the development of local investment into Rutania. Artanian Defense Group once operated a manufacturing and production operation in Rutania but eventually withdrew and returned almost all production to Dorvik, in recent years they have branched out with offices and facilities in Ostland and other locations.

Cunningham's first announcement was the formation of the Rutanian Corporate Expo 4955 which will take place in the returned capital of Vanderburg; a move that was celebrated with fairs and street events. Katherine Phillips, the Mayor of Vanderburg, thanked the new government and Prime Minister Baumhauer for the move. While Newtonia served as a stalwart capital, many historical buildings and the traditional administrative center of the entire nation; including the financial center of the entire nation. The Port Nelson Stock Exchange (PNSE) remained in Vanderburg and has been re-opened following the suspension of trading by the former caretaker government and placed under close scrutiny by the Ministry of Finance and the newly formed Commonwealth Financial Regulation Authority, which is now responsible for the financial regulatory and oversight body in Rutania. The FRA was formed by authority of the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Finance Christian Davidson.

[Auditorii]

Vanderburg Evening Standard
Rutanian's leading newspaper...
Chief of Defense Staff confirms defense purchase
April 4957

Vanderburg, Khodor - Secretary of State for Defense Kaspar Weisz announced that following the passage of the National Defense Reform Act that Maxwell Lawrence, a General in the Rutanian Army, was appointed as the first Chief of the Defense Staff. At his swearing in ceremony General Lawrence confirmed that the Rutanian government had contracted with Artanian Defense Group to purchase several dozen Unionfighters of the latest variant, these would be provided to the Rutanian Air Force and would provide a massive boost to the Rutanian governments ability to protect the air space of Rutania. General Lawrence confirmed that Admiral Jeremiah Powell had been appointed as the Chief of the Naval Staff, General Kairo Dawson had been appointed as the Chief of the Air Staff. The order with Artanian Defense Group also included a number of helicopters, including the a number of Unioncopter variants. Prime Minister Til Baumhauer named Kayla Grant as the Undersecretary of State for Defense Procurement at the Ministry of Defense who also announced that Rutania was interested in developing ties with the Luthorian defense industry to begin supplying a number of small arms, armored vehicles and main battle tanks to the Rutanian Armed Forces. Grant spoke to reporters outside of the newly renovated Defense Ministry headquarters stating that: "Rutania is likely to approach a number of regional nations to supply us with small arms, armored vehicles and main battle tanks. Luthori is one of them." The total amount purchase was not formally announced.

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Secretary of State for Finance and the Economy, Elizabeth Baird admitted to the Senate Committee on Finance and Economic Development that Rutania’s economic recovery would be longer and harder than any other nation on the continent, recognising the fiscal and monetary constraints which hindered the nation's economic growth before her appointment as Finance Secretary and recent statistical data from the Central Statistical Office pointing to weakness in the manufacturing and services sectors. According to the CSO, the sharp double contractions triggered by successive external shocks coupled with little to no real growth has triggered a deep depression within the Rutanian economy, thus triggering the Finance Secretary to note that the potential for a speedy recovery of the national economy was virtually impossible. Output, according to the CSO, had been seriously impacted amidst numerous factors such as a lack of diversified export markets, numerous restrictions on foreign direct investment and a general lack of government support in assisting businesses in becoming competitive on the domestic, regional and international markets. Earlier this morning, Ms Baird announced the government's sweeping budget for the coming year and outlined the numerous strategic objectives aimed at lifting Rutania out of its deep economic depression and placing the nation on a path to economic growth and resilience. In piloting the budget in the House of Representatives, the Finance Secretary noted that the government had no intention of holding back or being light-handed as it pertained to the scope/reach of the economic development plan. Speaking to fiscal policy, Secretary Baird explained that the government would employ an expansionary fiscal policy regime. She stated that the government must initiate a regime of deficit spending to allow for increased liquidity and public sector investment. "It has become increasingly clear that the government must now be the pillar responsible for leading the charge in Rutania’s economic development. The relative weakness of the private sector and the clear lack of innovation in both the public and private sectors must be addressed. We intend on using the government's spending power to create domestic demand and revitalise our national economy." The budget, as outlined by the Secretary aims to infuse significant public sector investment into the development of a strong digital economy, infrastructure, skills training and biotechnology. It also seeks to allow Rutania to take advantage of emerging industries such as the green economy and the blue economy as these two aforementioned industries represent snippets of the future economy.

During the budget address, Secretary Baird began with the question of digital transformation. In explaining its relationship to national economic development, Secretary Baird sought to centre the argument around the fact that for Rutania, digital transformation does not mean simply marrying technology with the public sector, but it means transformation the public sector to be as flexible/nimble enough to remain abreast of the numerous technological advances and to ensure that it is competent enough to deliver government services using innovative and modern techniques. She explained that preparing the public service for a digital nation will become an extremely important factor in the success of the government's digital transformation drive. Secretary of State for Public Administration and State Enterprises William Lindsay noted that in other, more advanced nations, their respective civil/public servants were trained in being adaptive towards emerging technologies. The integration of those technologies into the public service to ensure greater accountability, transparency and serviceability are what differentiated the advanced nations from Rutania. He noted that the question of digital transformation fell squarely on the feet of ease of doing business. He also noted that the current businesses processes of the public service were becoming increasingly archaic and were not fit for the future Rutanian economy. He explained that in many instances government transactions take hours to complete with information becoming increasingly repetitive as the development/interoperability of government ministries is non-existent. "Although some ministries have begun the process of digitising records and modernising their registers, others have not and thus the digitisation of public records is being conducted in silos with no clear objective of introducing interoperability whereby information can be shared between the various government agencies and ministries. Lindsay aims at following international best practices in pushing the boundary further. Identifying the introduction of unique electronic identifications, the retraining of public servants, the modernisation of existing business processes as key objectives on the development of a "digitally competent public service", demonstrates that the Labour Government is about to undertake a major transformation of the public service.

In line with the government's expansionary fiscal policy regime, infrastructure was a major part of the Finance Secretary’s address. During the presentation, she noted that a relatively lacklustre approach to infrastructure development in Rutania, owing to the lack of oversight and accountability. Secretary Baird announced that the government would be aiming to approve a series of infrastructure development projects such as highway infrastructure, municipal road infrastructure, railway, housing, drainage, bridges, inter-island transport and much more. She noted that infrastructure development would allow for Rutania to formally begin the process of stabilising the economy amidst the growth which comes out of the construction sector. She noted that the construction sector was connected to numerous other sectors including manufacturing, retail, technology and others. He noted that in instances where nations underwent broad infrastructure development programmes, it was found that these nations saw development and growth through increased activity in the domestic market. Secretary of State for Infrastructure and Transport, Caiden Paterson noted that the government would be overhauling much of Rutania’s infrastructure to allow for greater mobility and connectivity. She stated that the concept of multimodal transport was being considered by the Department. It is expected that these infrastructure programmes will be underway once the government begins the process to federalise Rutania. The Finance Secretary also spoke to numerous provisions involving agriculture which noted that the government would be aiming to support local farmers in expanding their operations and discovering new markets for export. On the topic of skills training, it is expected that the Secretary of State of Education, Culture and the Arts will supervise the complete transformation/modernisation of Rutania’s education system from primary to tertiary education. The aim, according to Education, Culture and the Arts Hollie McIntosh, was to ensure that Rutania’s younger population were prepared to grasp the opportunities of the future economy.

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In the backdrop of the nation's peculiar economic situation, Prime Minister Ruairi Henderson announced alongside Secretary of State for Finance and the Economy Elizabeth Baird, that the Rutanian Ruta (RUT) 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 RUT against the LOD. Secretary Baird stated that he wanted to hold out against a devaluation of the RUT and continue defending the RUT on the international market, however, she explained that defending the currency on the market against market forces would be extremely costly and would put significant pressure against Rutania's foreign exchange reserves. Governor of the Central Bank of Rutania, Dr Freddie Nicholson stated that it would be a "managed float" and would not be a "free-float" as some financial experts have been calling for. Dr Nicholson 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. Prime Minister Henderson stated that the newly formed Economic Advisory Board was actively seeking advice from foreign exchange experts on the potential pegging of the RUT against a strong currency. She noted that advanced discussions were underway to measure the strength of a nation's currency. Finance Secretary Baird noted that the Lodamese Dollar (LOD), although quasi-considered a "reserve currency", could not be considered stable. She 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, Ms Baird stated that the Government would be introducing a series of subsidies to help coax the population into living with a devalued RUT. Secretary of State for Business, Trade and Innovation Iris Hogg stated that the devaluation had a plus side. She 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 Cabinet Offices, Prime Minister Ruairi Henderson in a demonstration that he 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," Prime Minister Henderson explained. "The very concept of "fixing Rutania" 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 Prime Minister will report to him on policy proposals which it believes will be for the benefit of Rutania's economic growth. Chairing the EAB would be former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Rutania, Dr Archer McFarlane. Acting as Deputy Chairman of the EAB would be Senior Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Aidan Collins. Other members of the EAB are Finance Secretary Elizabeth Baird; Dr Anthony McKay, Professor of Applied Econometrics at the University of Dundale; Jackson Harper, Professor of Public Administration at the University of Dundale; Fearne Gordon, Professor of Labour Economics and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Relations at the Public University of Vanderburg; Ronnie Morgan, Professor of Agricultural and Environmental Economics at the University of Khodor; and Gabriel McIntosh, Director of the Centre for Industrial Research. When questioned on the appointment of Aidan Collins as the Deputy Chairman of the EAB, Prime Minister Henderson stated that his presence on the board allows for the economic decisions to be contextualised into the current political climate. He 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 Collins acts as a counterweight. It is expected that the Economic Advisory Board will present a detailed roadmap for the Rutanian economy going into the future.

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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 Rutania." These were the words of Governor of the Central Bank of Rutania, Dr Freddie Nicholson 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 Rutania and seeks to provide a much clearer picture of the origins and consequences of the informal economy's rise to primacy in Rutania. The report begins by outlining the impetus for the development of the informal economy in Rutania. 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 remains 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 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 on to explain the relationship between education and the informal economy. It posited that due to the lack of diverse/unique economic opportunities in Rutania, 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, Secretary of State for Finance and the Economy Elizabeth Baird stated that having read the report, it paints an extremely difficult situation for the government going into the future. She explained that due to the lack of taxation in the informal economy, the government was losing billions of dollars in potential taxation. Secretary Baird 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. Baird 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." Secretary of State for Labour and Social Development Lewis MacKinnon 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. MacKinnon 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."

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Although not an extremely popular position in the international domain, the concept of federalism has gained considerable moment and support, with constitutional scholars and lawyers noting that the eagerness for federalism in Rutania is stronger than it has been in centuries. Federalism in Rutania has gained momentum through the consistent campaigning of the Rutanian Labour Party who argues that federalism allows for issues unique to the provinces to be solved on the provincial level. As a strong proponent of the concept of federalism, the Rutanian Labour Party sought to operationalise the concept of a federation in Rutania. Following the recent election, the Labour Party through Secretary of State for Local Government and Rural Development, William Sutherland and Attorney-General and Secretary of State for Justice Jay MacLennan embarked on the government's ambitious plan to transform the unitary Rutania, into a federal Rutania. The process initially began with a series of deep consultations with numerous organisations from across Rutania including lawyers, constitutional scholars/lawyers, public servants, the Central Bank of Rutania, the various local government organs and the numerous minor political parties which existed in the various townships/cities throughout Rutania. Following the conclusion of this consultation process, Attorney General MacLennan sought the input of the general public. Through a series of town hall meetings alongside individuals such as Senior Lecturer of Constitutional Law at the University of Dundale, Dr Ruben Lindsay and other important policy developers, Attorney General MacLennan sought to ensure that the general public's input was a centre-piece of the amendments being proposed. Out of these town halls with the general public, Attorney General MacLennan sought the inclusion of the various ethnic minorities in Rutania. The All-Caldorian Support Committee and Caldorian Cultural Association were formally introduced to the consultations. With representatives from the public sector, civil society and the various ethnic minorities in Rutania, a committee was formed to draft a new federal constitution. Following months of draft work at the committee stage, the new federal constitution was approved by the Cabinet and sent to the parliament for debate.

Earlier this morning, the Parliament approved Rutania's new federal constitution, henceforth heralding the end of the unitary Commonwealth of Rutania and proclaiming the federal Commonwealth of Rutania. The new constitution outlined numerous changes in the general structure and conduct of the government and its relationship with the provinces. It empowers the aforementioned provinces with increased autonomy and powers to conduct their respective internal government. It allows for the aforementioned provinces to establish their own parliament, government and laws. As it pertains to laws, according to the Attorney General, there is a clear distinction between federal law and the statutes of the provinces. He explains that federal laws will be those passed in the federal parliament. Statutes are subordinate to federal law and thus cannot contradict the directions of federal legislation. In empowering the provinces to conduct their own affairs, the new constitution outlines the relationship between the "Federal Government" and the "Provincial Governments". It notes that the provincial government shall be responsible for the day-to-day governance of the province while the federal government shall be responsible for the day-to-day governance of the "federation". Issues such as tax collection, budgets, natural resources, business and the economy, housing and other related matters have been devolved to the provincial governments. As it pertains to income tax and other related wealth taxes, the federal government shall be responsible for the collection of said taxes. In a similar manner, the federal constitution established the provision of an independent institution responsible for ensuring the provincial governments maintain balanced budgets which do not exceed revenue. Secretary of State for Finance and the Economy Elizabeth Baird explained the inclusion of the provision. She explained that underneath the previous arrangement there was no obligation on local government authorities to strive for a balanced budget, nor was there any statutory obligation for local government authorities to maintain fiscal responsibility. Secretary Baird noted that the provision would allow for greater fiscal responsibility across the provincial government and would prevent the budget deficits seen under previous authorities.

With the provincial governments now empowered to conduct their own internal affairs, numerous questions have arisen as it pertains to institutions that existed prior to the federation. Institutions such as the National Police, the National Fire Service and Healthcare Services have been decentralised. According to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs Arthur Milligan, the provincial governments will be responsible for fire and rescue services and will also be responsible for law enforcement within their respective spaces. He stated that there now exists a clear distinction between the Provincial Police and Federal Police. Secretary Milligan explained that the federal police will be responsible for combating transnational crime, terrorism, cybercrime and other areas of national responsibility. In addition to its federal role, the Federal Police provide policing services to the federal capital of Vanderburg/Dundale. As it pertains to healthcare, the centralised healthcare system of the past has been decentralised to the provincial governments. The previous National Health Councils of the past have been replaced by institutions known as Health Authorities. As per the new constitution and the reformed Healthcare Act, there exists the Kragusrov Health Authority, the Bozarland Health Authority, the Delvar Health Authority, the Ardinia Health Authority and the Khodor Health Authority. According to the Secretary of State for Public Health and Wellness Dr Elliot McGowan, the Health Authorities shall be responsible for healthcare policy in the various provinces and shall be the implementing agencies for public health policy in the aforementioned provinces. Fire Services, according to Home Affairs Secretary Milligan have been decentralised to the provincial governments who are now mandated to establish their own province-wide fire services. The Secretary noted that the federal government had essentially devolved numerous responsibilities to the provincial government through the reformed constitution. He has stated that numerous national agencies have been devolved alongside the police, fire services and healthcare. He explained that numerous agencies once under the remit of the Department of Home Affairs are now under the direct governance of the provincial governments.

With the new federal constitution proclaimed by the President, the law mandates that elections be called in the provincial governments to allow for these new entities to form their respective parliaments, government and henceforth govern their own affairs. President Adam McIntosh is yet to approve the election call as he believes it is important to allow for the population to become accustomed to the renewed arrangement before the various provincial governments can be formed. General Secretary of the Rutanian Labour Party, Alistair McGill stated that once the elections were called, the Rutanian Labour Party has every confidence that it will be able to secure the provincial governments. He explained that the popularity of the Rutanian Labour Party among the population is evidence of the party's success in transforming Rutania. He stated that the federal constitution amends how parties work also. He explained that although there is a Rutanian Labour Party on the national level, it cannot interfere in the affairs of the Rutanian Labour Party in Khodor. He explained that the Rutanian Labour Party on the federal level can only provide the general guidance and direction of its provincial subordinates. "Although we provide the general direction of the movement, we cannot tell the Rutanian Labour Party in Khodor how to implement its policies." Each province has a branch of the Rutanian Labour Party responsible for implementing social democratic policies specific to the province in question. General Secretary McGill stated that in the upcoming Rutanian Labour Party Conference, the policies for the provincial governments will be developed by the various working groups/committee of the conference. "We are confident that we will see victory in all of the provinces," McGill ended. The Federal Constitution allows for numerous changes in Rutanian society. It empowers provinces to conduct their own affairs, whilst allowing for the federal government to retain key decisions such as defence, foreign policy, taxation, census and international trade and commerce (although Provincial Governments can have trade offices in other territories). It is hoped that these new powers will bring with them, increased accountability, transparency and efficiency within Rutania.