Keymon

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Recessions in the world's major economies are but the latest of many threats to Prime Minister Perier's economic recovery plans. With the world's leading economies in deep recession, the Bank of Keymon has cut its forecasts for the coming year, warning that the economy is walking into a deeper contraction than previously expected. According to initial estimates by the Bank of Keymon, Keymon's economy was expected to contract at around 6%, owing to low productivity in the manufacturing sector, low exports and rising unemployment however amidst the economic hardship being experienced in Deltaria, Yingdala and the other major global economies, this morning the Bank released its revised forecast of 19%. In a memo outlining the bank's response to the changing situation, it sought to quell fears that the economy was on a path to total collapse. This comes amidst social media posts and commentary from numerous political commentators on the state of the economy. The memo noted that the Bank of Keymon remains the lender of last resort, citing strong performance in the bond markets due to the confidence in the leadership of Dr Sabine Benedetti, Vincenzo Pucciarelli and Clément De Ponce.

Data from the Department of Finance and Economic Development note that Keymon's foreign exchange reserves remain relatively stable. According to economists polled by Radio Television Keymon, the country remains capable of importing much-needed products and commodities. The value of Keymon's exports and imports stand at around eight times its GDP, thus leading to many local economists including the Finance Secretary to state that Keymon is by far the most import and export-dependent nation on terra. Not sharing land borders with some its most important export markets, having to ship all of its exports via container and having to import all of its products similarly has had a toll on the foreign exchange reserves. Just a while ago, Dr Benedetti declared that Keymon's economy was not in a recession but a depression i.e. a prolonged period of economic downturn. With the Yingdalan and Deltarian economies in recession, exports are expected to crash to an all-time low recognising that the aforementioned nations are the largest markets for Keymon's products. State Secretary for Commerce and Industry, Clément De Ponce in an exclusive interview spoke on the major impact that the recessions in the major economies will have on Keymon's export/import-dependent economy. Secretary De Ponce is a retired Investment Banker for Crédit Keïmons.

Economic recessions on a global scale as with those on a national scale will have a ripple effect. Nations that tend to be more connected to the international market than others (as is the case of Keymon) tend to not weather the storm that well. They usually take a serious blow in comparison to nations who aren't that connected/dependent on the global markets. The ability for nations to weather the storm, particularly developing nations like ours, is entirely based on our foreign exchange profile i.e. how much room do we have to pay for drawdowns. Our economy depends greatly on the demand in the much larger economies (Deltaria, Yingdala etc) and we could say that when the ripples of this recession eventually reach our shores, the demand in the larger economies would have been almost wiped out. I'm not doing to enter the discussion on the impact this is going to have on the natural gas markets. However, I could shed some light on how investments are going to look: investors are going to sell off assets which they deem to be too risky to hold onto and shift much of their energy on safer moves. We're already seeing signs of it; in Davostan the government sold off its risky 3M assets to a private entity.

State Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Dr Sabine Benedetti was not available for comment however Associate Secretary for Finance and Economic Development and State Secretary for Labour, Vincenzo Pucciarelli was. He noted that the State Secretary had been engaged in high-level discussions with the Economic Advisory Committee, a committee established under law to advise the Prime Minister on matters of economic importance. He stated that he maintains utmost confidence in Dr Benedetti's abilities in pulling Keymon out of a double-dip recession. He said: "Dr Benedetti is an extremely experienced economist who understands the inner workings of our economy and our role in the much wider global economy." Mr Pucciarelli, according to others is a labour economist who mainly focuses on the relationship between the performance of the economy and the workforce. When asked how a recession of this scale could impact the labour markets he said: "Well it's very obvious that unemployment will increase, not only locally but internationally. It really comes down to core government policy in determining how could either reverse the increases in unemployment or slow down its impact on the economy." Governor of the Bank of Keymon Giles Giovanetti noted that as an initial response the Bank would be cutting interest rates and purchasing more government bonds but warned that it should not be viewed by the public as a solution to stem the inevitable harsh impact the recession will have on the economy.

[Augustus Germanus]

The Government of Davostan announces its candidacy for the World Congress Security Council Seat D

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Radio Television Keymon
Opinion and Analysis
Recovery in Focus
Part 2: Education and the Economy
By Myriam Garnier, State Secretary for Education and Culture
2nd November, 4856.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone when I say: there are more children in education than there was 10 years ago. In a similar manner, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone when I also say: the amount of time a child spends in schools (might they be primary, secondary and tertiary) has increased by 100% in the past 50 years. The schooling population went from one year in extreme cases to eight years. The importance of education in a society's development has been underscored by centuries of reform in education. The concept of human capital, coined centuries prior by economists when they birthed human capital theory. I note the very definition of human capital theory: "How education increases the productivity and efficiency of workers by increasing the level of cognitive stock of economically productive human capability." Economists and financial advisers of the like have posited that something as simple as an increase in the age of schooling has a direct impact of wages. This is mainly due to the fact that for an employer, the higher the skills and education of the employee, the more money said employer will pay to maintain and keep said employee underneath his/her organisation.

I borrow a comment from Mr Pucciarelli's previous Op-Ed when I say: The workplace of the future is much different from the workplace of the past. What was needed more than 10-15 years ago is no longer adequate to fit the needs of a modern economy. Technology and education are in a perpetual battle to determine which societal invention would be best suited to carry the future economy on its back. Poor performance in Keymon's education system is THE defining factor in why technology is rapidly winning that battle in Keymon. Our modern global economy demands competition and in order for that competition to be visualised, there must be an understanding that skills and education is the only way there can truly be a fair battle for Keymon to secure its place in the global economy. If we can't mould a workforce, a society capable of mastering the competencies needed to compete in the modern global economy, it is a simple fact that Keymon will be left behind and thus will reap little to no benefits from future developments.

I recognise the need to expand not the quantity, but the quality of the education. It is my firm intention to reform the education system to reflect the direction we should take this nation. The Prime Minister has a unique vision for this nation and I believe we will be able to achieve that vision through a comprehensive reform of the education system, from systems to infrastructure to content (curriculum).

[Rogue]

New government regulations and investment program takes effect, Deltarian economy slowly stabilizing

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Radio Television Keymon
Opinion and Analysis
Recovery in Focus
Part 3: Creating a more efficient public civil service.
By Stéphane Bain, State Secretary for Public Administration and Digital Transformation
15th April, 4857.

We are seeing an aggressive advance within this nation to digitise. Within the private sector, numerous businesses are employing the assistance of technological solutions as a means of ensuring their businesses can remain nimble and can thus survive these uncertain economic times. However, an area of society which has been lagging is the public service and the wider government. With businesses moving away from paper-based solutions and adopting more cost-effective technological solutions, the advantages of technology in the workplace is becoming increasingly clear. The private sector has continued to improve the customer service experience, employing technological solutions in many instances to achieve this. Many look at the advances in the private sector and are rightfully expected the government to step up and take lead. The digitisation of the public service has an amazing potential for advancing the continued development of governance, as the operation of governance is an evolving concept.

Government is extremely bureaucratic in nature. I remembered the difficulty I ran into in trying to obtain a replacement to my I.D card after I lost it. Applications which should otherwise take no more than five minutes to complete take days to complete as they often require hard copies to be printed and signed. There is a no Once-only policy, no decentralisation, no transparency. It is my firm belief that the government can provide a seamless experience to the user. The issue hindering this process from being realised is the fact that almost all government departments operate in silos with none willing to share information. This forces persons to roam between numerous sites and spaces to access information which should be readily available in a single "one-stop-shop". There are many instances whereby people become confused and are generally disincentivised because of the unnecessary complexity of government bureaucracy. It shouldn't take days to obtain a copy of one's birth certificate; it should take mere minutes. Every time you renew some form of identification you shouldn't have to bring back physical copies of the same documents you brought to the same department months prior.

The Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation, which I lead, has been specifically tasked with transforming the public service to ensure increased efficiency and an improved customer experience. To address that we have opted to introduce two principle mandates: the introduction of an e-identity which allows for you to be easily recognised by any government service and eventually any service provider. It also allows for the government to be more proactive in supplying you with your needs. Thus, the government can become more proactive. For example, the Department of Health and Social Services wouldn't have to wait for a baby born with a birth defect to physically present themselves before a clerk and make an application for social welfare assistance. With interoperability, relevant information could be made available to anyone, so that the child born with a birth defect, the Department of Health and Social Services would be readily informed of the situation through the aforementioned interoperability. This allows the Department to more proactively to serve the needs of the customer. Our second mandate is that the digitalising the public service would entail a multi-pronged approach. From the digitisation of records to the construction of infrastructure, we intend on expediting the process. "E-Governance", the title of our approach will not only consist of departmental interactions but will also play a role in the economy. The introduction of e-payments and the potential use of digital currency etc all wrap into our unique approach to achieving our goal of a much more efficient government.

All of what I just described entails a large amount of data, and data needs protection, storage and transparency, and we intend to ensure that we achieve all of this as we move along our digitisation process. The introduction of the Data Protection Act, the Freedom of Information Act and the General Directives on Data Protection (regulations) will be introduced. E-Governance will require the retraining of public servants. We recognise that not all members of the public service are capable of applying advanced technical skills and the Department of Labour is actively working with us in creating a new training programme to help retrain public sector employees to prepare them for this new form of work and governance. The e-governance thrust allows for us to cut administrative costs dramatically thus allowing for funds to be diverted to other departments where they are most needed. I firmly believe that we can achieve what we set out to, but we must recognise that whilst this is a whole-of-government approach it must also be a whole-of-country approach. All hands on deck.

[Rogue]

Deltarian economy on path of recovery, global economy follows trend

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OOC: Back Dated

At a press conference held by Department of Finance and Economic Development, State Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Dr Sabine Benedetti confirmed that the Department had signed on a 1.2 Billion LOD loan from the Dorvish Development Bank to modernise the public services sector and to increase general efficiency in the central government. The announcement comes amidst right-wing political think tanks saying that the central government should not employ a fiscal policy of borrowing on the international market as a means of making up for shortfalls in revenue, but should focus on fiscal tightening and austerity measures aimed at reducing the national debt and utilising the private sector to push economic development. Keymon will seek to improve its economic competitiveness through greater integration of information technology into the public sector, greater efficiency in the administration of the public sector and greater skills training to ensure that public servants can exist and thrive in the digital environment of the future public service. According to the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation, the transformation of the central government through technology would entail tremendous work and a considerable amount of financial resources. It noted that it pitched the idea of the loan programme to DoFED, noting the serious economic situation Keymon has been thrown into amidst the global recession. State Secretary for Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Stéphane Bain noted that the rates of the loan by the Dorvish Development Bank were extremely favourable and thus were the automatic choice of DoFED.

President of the Monte Primo Centre for Political Strategy, Jean-Luc Graziani stated that the decision to take on increased debt through a loan put the nation's debt portfolio at risk. He said that currently, Keymon's debt to GDP ratio stands at 70% and was expected to increase amidst the global economic recession. He lamented that the time for borrowing is not now, owing to the potential for the government to default on the loan due to its potential inability to repay the loan. "The effects of the global economic recession have not fully registered thus it is not safe to be borrowing at this time. I've said it before and I will say it again: Introduce Austerity Measures; introduce tax cuts and strip back some (but not all) regulations for the private sector to have breathing room to carry our economic recovery on its back." In an interview after the conference, Dr Benedetti stated that persons within Mr Graziani's camp primarily champion the interests of the business class and never the working class, adding that he was "as nonsensical, inept and useless as his organisation."

People like Mr Graziani lament that the national debt should be our primary concern in these difficult economic times. That we must introduce austerity measures to slow and/or ease the burden on the national debt and introduce policies aimed at reducing it. Persons like him love to reference biased economic data showing that Keymon's deficit is higher than another nation in our "developing economy" class. Clearly, these individuals know nothing of per capita data and its inaccuracy. Our economic situation is steamed partly due to a shortage of tax revenue. Prior to our appointment to office, we registered some of the lowest corporation tax, income tax rates for a nation of our size. When this government takes on a loan it is with the clear of improving the situation of our nation and not using the loan funds to host lavish dinners whilst many go hungry.

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Secretary for Finance and Economic Development, Dr Sabine Benedetti admitted to the Senate Committee on Finance and Economic Development that Keymon's economic recovery would be "longer and harder" than any other nation, recognising the fiscal and monetary constraints which hindered economic growth before the global recession and recent statistical data from the National Statistical Institute, weakness in the manufacturing sector. According to the National Statistical Institute, the sharp double contractions triggered by the global economic recession has triggered a "double-dip" recession within Keymon's economy, this according to the Finance Secretary is called a "W" shape recovery. Output, according to the NSI, was curtailed by $17 Billion KED or 17% of Keymon's GDP. Whilst the NSI highlighted the need for a stimulus package to slowdown what it calls a "gradual transitioning to an L-shaped recovery," Dr Benedetti stated that work on the Stimulus Package had already begun with Secretary for Labour Vincenzo Pucciarelli leading the inter-departmental programme for economic recovery. She warned that she had no intention of appeasing right-wing, conservative economic thinkers as she noted that current trends suggest that the government will be running a two-year deficit. Although she did not elaborate on the size of the aforementioned deficit, she hinted that the recovery would lean heavily on the construction (infrastructure sector) and the information technology industry.

Secretary Benedetti was grilled on the question of debt financing. Having indicated that she intends on running a deficit budget in the coming two fiscal terms, Alberto Tofani, an independent senator on the committee and a former Financial Advisor for MP Financial, questioned the Minister on where she intends on garnering financing to cover for the intentional budget shortfall. According to Mr Tofani, the lack of an international monetary financing mechanism whereby states can drawdown loans and the lack of a sovereign wealth fund for Keymon, poses a significant threat to Keymon's future financial stability. Tofani noted that having experience in the banking sector, as he boasted of being a senior financial advisor for Monte Primo Financial, he was not aware of the state's ability to borrow on the local markets, let alone the international markets recognising its credit rating. Dr Benedetti explained that she had already begun the process of RFPs (requests for proposals) from local and international banking institutions.

We have already sent out RFPs on the local and international markets. I'm not sure what angle Mr Tofani is coming from when he says that our current credit rating would somehow hinder our ability to receive debt financing on the local and international markets. Although our credit rating isn't where I'd like it to be (and we are working on that), we still have enough wiggle room to have considerable options. On the question of drawdowns, I have spoken to the Prime Minister on amending the Savings Bonds Act to increase withdrawals to $6 billion KED and also amending the Value Added Tax Act to allow for the state to release some $500 million KED in VAT refunds which will cover 98% of the companies owed VAT refunds. It is also our [the Government] intention to make significant drawdowns from our foreign exchange revenues. Drawdowns in this regard will of course force us to bring the current devaluation conversation onto the front burner.

According to the NIS, manufacturing has the greatest potential in driving Keymon's recovery from the global recession. In noting that Keymon is in a depression (and not a recession), the NIS noted comments from the Economic Advisory Office (EAO) of the Parliament which said that with the global economic situation stabilising, manufacturing output was returning to its pre-recession levels. According to the Department of Commerce and Industry, stated that according to its Supply Chain Research Department, production and new orders were increasing as the global economies of Deltaria and Yingdala mount their respective recoveries. Dr Benedetti noted that there was considerable attention being paid to the manufacturing sector. She stated that the manufacturing sector was the underpinning. In her final remarks to the committee, she stated that the stimulus package which will be unveiled in the future will aim at improving Keymon's competitivity on the global markets. "I am extremely confident in the ability of the Commerce and Industry Secretary, Mr De Ponce, whom I have worked within the private sector for much of my career as a bank economist. Mr De Ponce has already outlined that he intends on tackling the ease of doing business indicators and transforming Keymon into a more business-friendly environment." On Keymon's recovery being long and hard, the Secretary stated that unlike many other nations Keymon cannot introduce a simple stimulus package to pull itself out of economic ruin but there must be a strengthening of our institutions. Secretary Pucciarelli elaborated, "For this recovery to have its intended effect we need for all of the pieces to come together. We need strong fiscal policies, stable macroeconomics, functioning institutions, transparency and oversight. All of which cannot be achieved overnight."

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Prime Minister Jacques Périer and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Jean-Pascal Laurens met with Dankukin Premier Matteo Manahan in what has been described as the Prime Minister's first official state visit. During the meeting, economic cooperation between both Keymon and Dankuk was raised and thoroughly discussed. Both nations are considered by the Zardic Institute for International Affairs as "Average" economies, and whilst the classification is but a snapshot of their economic size, both nations are pivoting onto ambitious paths for national development. Having defeated the Bolshevik revolution through a joint coalition, the Ecology Movement and Innovative Dankuk, now pilot the nation towards an era of both change and real progress. The Social Democratic Party, in attaining complete control of the Parliament of Keymon now charts a course of real socioeconomic development for Keymon, a sentiment which according to the Prime Minister, was seriously lacking from Keymon's successive caretaker governments. According to the Prime Minister, both Keymon and Dankuk share a common understanding of their respective roles in the international community. Whilst both nations may deviate on challenging issues, he says, what is common is the willingness for both nations to tackle difficult situations head-on. "Our nations continue to shoot beyond our weight. The people of Dankuk demonstrate an amazing potential for greatness. Greatness I too see within my people and I believe cooperation between our two nations will unlock that potential and ushering a new era of progress, change and prosperity for both our nations and our respective peoples."

Economic Cooperation between our two nations is extremely important. In many instances, Keymon requires technical assistance in areas of our economic development and we believe Dankuk holds such technical skills. As our nation drives towards becoming a digitally-driven society, we believe that cooperation with a digitally competent nation such as Dankuk would allow for us to learn from their centuries of experience.

With economic cooperation being the primary talking point of the visit, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of economic development. He noted comments coming from Secretary of Labour Vincenzo Pucciarelli who stated that Keymon must seek cooperation with foreign educational institutions to form stronger bonds in education and workforce policy development. The Prime Minister noted that cooperation between Keymon's universities and Dankukin universities would seek to benefit both nations. In particular, the University of Keymon could form strong bilateral relations with various universities in Dankuk thus allowing for international degree programmes and exchanges. Secretary Laurens stated that a future state visit is expected to be scheduled in the future where he intends on formalising economic cooperation between Keymon and Dankuk through a treaty agreement. Prior to their departure from Dankuk, Prime Minister Périer and Secretary Laurens held a joint conference at Keymon's Honorary Consulate in Dankuk where the Prime Minister confirmed Keymon's support for Dankuk's Security Council bid. He said:

Although traditionally we have voted for Lourenne in Seat D we believe that Dankuk was the best nation to serve as the true representative of the Dovanian nations at the Security Council. Having grown to respect their views on international affairs, Keymon has recognised a nation which intends on working assiduously for a better tomorrow; not just for itself but for all mankind.

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Secretary of Finance and Economic Development Dr Sabine Benedetti's much-awaited Stimulus Package was passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate with both the government and independent benches in support of the sweeping fiscal motion. The stimulus package, according to the Department of Finance and Economic Development comes in the form of three legislations: the Finance Bill, 4862, the Appropriate (Fiscal Term 4863) Bill and the Economic Realignment Programme; with all three bills having a common theme of economic revitalisation. Missing from the stimulus package according to some financial experts were fiscal measures such as tax reform, comprehensive welfare benefits, mechanisms to safeguard employment and changes in the VAT (value-added tax) regime. Secretary Benedetti in an exclusive interview discussing the Stimulus package in its entirety explained that fiscal measures were already introduced and the central government was not prepared to "cut off its nose to spite its face", she noted that the fiscal measures introduced at the beginning of the global economic recession had been extended and in some cases expanded to allow for greater coverage. She also noted that the government intends on bringing a Miscellaneous Provisions (Financial Adjustment) Bill to the Parliament to experiment with new concepts such as a universal basic income, pension reform and citizenship by investment schemes. The stimulus package, in its entirety, is worth $82 Billion KED and according to the Secretary is uniquely designed to leverage Keymon's advantages and correct decades of macroeconomic policy failures at the hands of previous governments. "The stimulus packages we intend on introducing in the future will be tailored to ensure that Keymon is capable of rising above the challenges of this economic depression with a renewed sense of economic development." According to the Secretary, talks have already begun on the 2nd part of the Economic Realignment Programme, which is expected to be focused on new and emerging industries such as the Blue Economy, the Green Economy and boost Keymon's manufacturing capacity.



Secretary Benedetti began with digital transformation. In explaining its relationship to national economic development. The digital transformation argument in Keymon is primarily centred around the need for the central government to enhance the delivery of government services of the citizenry. According to Secretary for Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Stéphane Bain, service delivery by the central government and the respective regional corporations are inherently inadequate and slow. Whereas in other nation-states it takes mere minutes for processes and transactions to be conducted, in Keymon due to inefficient and unnecessarily bureaucratic processes, some of the transactions take weeks or even months. Secretary Bain argues that digital transformation would enhance service delivery throughout the government and usher in a new era of efficiency, accountability and transparency. Under the "Recovery in Focus" editorial series, Secretary Bain noted that the private sector had advanced the digital transformation initiative and had actively taken advantage of the benefits of technology. She stated that when it comes to the digital transformation question," Many look at the advances in the private sector and are rightfully expected the government to step up and take lead." From the digitisation of records and a unique identification system to the creation of a Public Service Academy, the Finance Secretary, in her explanation highlighted some of the initiatives to be launched by the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation for digital transformation:

• Enhance inter-departmental data-sharing through the creation of a Government Data Link.
• Form a National Digital Database whereby citizens can access government information.
• Develop the E-Procurement Platform to be governed by the Office of Procurement and Control.
• Develop a national, unique E-Identity for which citizens can access government services easier.
• Create the Public Service Training Academy to train future public servants in their respective disciplines.

The Economic Advisory Office has stated that the advent of e-commerce solutions in Keymon has provided an avenue for rural communities to be brought into the digital era at a faster pace. In its report, E-Commerce: Development Opportunities, the EAO noted that E-Commerce has the potential to connect businesses and their respective customers. The report noted that in instances where individuals exist outside of the formal economy, e-commerce solutions can be introduced to allow for those operating outside of the formal economy to be integrated. At the forefront of the argument in favour of e-commerce is the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation. Secretary for Public Administration and Digital Transformation, Stéphane Bain stated that e-commerce remains an extremely important underpinning in the government's digital transformation drive. She noted that solutions such as electronic payments, secure online banking and others are coming to Keymon but such a drive must be guided by policy and must be transparent and secure. Although some commentators have championed the establishment of a specialised agency to regulate Keymon's future e-commerce environment, Secretary for Commerce and Industry, Clément De Ponce noted that the Department of Commerce and Industry through the Fair Trade Commission would remain the regulator for the e-commerce industry. He stated that the newly formed department had received training from the Bank of Keymon (whom before the Fair Trade Act was the de facto regulator of e-commerce solutions) and are now prepared to be operationalised. As it pertains to security, in a joint release, both the Department of Justice and the Department of Domestic Affairs stated that they had discussions with the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation and the Department of Commerce and Industry for cybersecurity solutions. Some of the proposals to be introduced by the Department of Public Administration and Digital Transformation are:

• Create the Data Protection Act
• Create the E-Transaction Act
• Seek assistance from extra-regional nations in creating the National Cyber Security Policy
• Encourage the Bank of Keymon to begin the process of forming a useable digital currency

Secretary Benedetti has reiterated the government's intention to "Build Keymon Out of Depression", thus provisions promoting infrastructure development both in the public and private sector should come as no surprise to the general public. The Finance Secretary has stated that the government intends on using infrastructure development to spur economic growth and to improve the living conditions in Keymon. Having made mention of infrastructure development's role in the government's recovery plan, the Secretary went on to explain the importance of the construction sector to economic growth. She noted that the construction sector is the only sector capable of spurring instantaneous employment opportunities. Whereas most employment opportunities would have to take time to mature, the construction sector allows for employment opportunities to be created on the instant. She also noted that the construction sector is the only sector whereby unskilled workers can be trained and mobilised the fastest. Secretary of Labour, Vincenzo Pucciarelli, a labour economist noted that in the construction sector, it is faster for someone to obtain skills than it is for someone in the culinary business to obtain skills. Secretary of Infrastructure and Transport, Clemente Vincenti noted that having been appointed as the Cabinet Secretary responsible for works and infrastructure, he has recognised numerous infrastructure development opportunities for Keymon in the foreseeable future. He explained that the Department of Infrastructure and Transport had already outlined a series of construction projects to the Cabinet for its consideration, with many of these projects occurring in phases:

Phase 1

• The construction of the National Highway System.
• The upgrade and rolling refurbishment of existing roadways throughout Keymon.
• The operationalisation of the Safe Roads Act which will bring into fruition, infrastructure aimed at promoting driver and pedestrian safety.
• The operationalisation of the Keymon Transportation Authority to govern and regulate the National Highway System.
• The construction of drainage infrastructure to alleviate flooding in low-lying areas.

Phase 2

• The establishment and operationalisation of the Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC).
• The construction of social housing throughout Keymon
• The establishment of urban development plans for Monte Primo, Pacivila, Portu Betania and Sidi Mopani.
• Consider the construction of new housing settlements.
• The construction of the Government Administration Complex in Monte Primo.

Phase 3

• The operationalisation of the Office for Communication and Regulation (OCR)
• The rolling out of 5G infrastructure
• The restructuring of the state-owned telecommunications provider, Keymon Telecom.
• The introduction of fibre-optics to Keymon's telecommunications infrastructure.
• Pivoting Keymon as a strategic junction for submarine cables between Artania and Seleya.

Phase 4

• The construction of a man-made beach in the areas of Monte Primo and Portu Betania.
• The construction of the Sierra Resort and the Western Cloud Hotel.

Phase 5

• Expansion of the Port of Portu Betania
• Expansion of the Port of Monte Primo
• Construction of an LNG storage hub in Sidi Mopani by the state-owned natural gas company, Petroliu Keimon (Keymon Petroleum)

Agriculture, according to Secretary Benedetti would also play a major role in Keymon's economic development as it possessed a large degree of potential for economic growth opportunities. Agriculture, by its very nature, is a primary industry and has been used by numerous governments around the world as a means of pushing economic growth. Increased output and productivity from the agricultural sector has a tendency to spur economic growth as it is one of the main drivers of consumption. In tight foreign exchange conditions as is currently seen in Keymon, the agriculture sector has major potential. According to Secretary Benedetti, agriculture does not require large capital investments as would the information technology sector. Secretary for Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Jean-Paul Larousse explained that investment into the agricultural sector would allow for Keymon to reduce its dependency on imported foodstuffs. According to the Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, a large percent of Keymon's food is imported from foreign states and is a drain of the nation's foreign exchange reserves. The Secretary noted that should Keymon be able to grow its own foodstuffs, the country's large food import bill would be dramatically reduced. Some of the proposals identified under the Realignment Programme are:

• Remove all taxes and duties on agricultural products to make the agricultural sector one that is completely tax-free.
• Introduce protectionist duties on imported agricultural products to encourage the domestic markets to fill the gaps usually plugged by foreign imports.
• Encourage the University of Keymon to cooperate with foreign agriculture universities on joint programmes.
• Encourage PPPs between the National School Feeding Programme and local farms (small, medium and large farmers).
• Construct aquaculture pen systems which can be rented by fisherfolk through the Agricultural Development Bank.
• Encourage the Department of Labour to form a Guest Worker Policy for the agricultural sector.
• Establish an equipment financing mechanism through the Agricultural Development Bank with assistance from either the World Congress or another extra-regional entity.

The Finance Secretary's ambitious economic development programme comes at a time of great national enthusiasm for national development. Having been privy to decades of incompetent caretaker governments, the PSd's economic drive has been described as "refreshing" by citizens and other political commentators as it demonstrates the government's confidence. It is hoped that Secretary Benedetti's vision for Keymon could be realised, thus allowing for Keymon to enter a new era of national development.