With the adoption of the Imperial Economic Decree, the official release of the AbelPay system and the appointment of Anthony Clark as both Minister for Commerce and acting Chancellor of the Treasury, it seems as though the groundwork has been successfully laid for a prosperous Abeldane economy. Since basic regulations and institutional infrastructure have been put in place, responsibility for executing the API's economic plan now falls to the government and the citizenry as a whole. In this article, we'll discuss what both bodies now need to do to help the country realise its dream of creating its very own economy. The government: As part of the API's economic plan, the national government was handed the indispensable responsibility of creating and maintaining economic activity. Under this plan, Ministers are legally obliged to provide formal employment opportunities to all individuals currently offering assistance to the government, in effect offering salaried positions to all civil servants (who have historically operated on a volunteer basis). Due to the fact that the vast majority of Abeldanes already 'work' for the government in some capacity, this means that money can be distributed across the economic spectrum in a fair and safe manner. Therefore, the government can ensure stable economic stimulation through the introduction of new currency into the public purse while also incentivising participation in the civil service. Without this crucial stage being implemented, there can be no doubt that the API plan will fail, as it is this facet of the proposal which ensures that freshly-printed Trimoles actually reach the average citizen (who can in turn spend their money in the private sector). In light of this, it is necessary for the government to actually implement the plan by coming up with a list of employees in each Ministry, and then offering these same employees contracts formalising their now-paid position. Once this process has been completed, the API's monetary plan will swing into action and begin stimulating large scale economic activity and growth. Until this happens, however, it would be unreasonable to expect any economic movement whatsoever. In addition to offering civil servants formal employment, the government must also create its own demand for a civil service by embarking on several ambitious, non-economic projects in order to drive internal activity. Unfortunately, at present the government is doing little to nothing as far as projects are concerned, which means that it has little to no need for a civil service as well. As soon as the ruling party comes up with something to do for the country, it will then be able to justify employing more staff in order to execute its plans, therefore generating more economic activity and leaking more Trimoles into the economy. The API recommends that the government moves to kick start a number of cultural programmes, such as gaming tournaments, writing competitions, Abeldane language workshops and national debates, which will not only generate the need for a civil service, but will also give utility value to the Trimole. ('Utility value' is the degree to which a currency is useful for purchasing goods and services.) So, say the government was to establish a writing competition, it could also introduce a moderate entry fee, thus giving the average citizen a valid reason to actually start earning Trimoles. This policy, put together with the initiation of new, non-economic government projects, would drive the need for a civil service, provide utility value to the Trimole, generate overall economic activity and most importantly of all, generate nation-wide citizen activity as well. It is for this reason that it is absolutely crucial that the government carries out its obligations under the Economic Decree by formally employing its civil servants, and giving them some work to do. The citizenry: If you're not in the government and are reading this article, there's a good chance you thought you'd get away with doing nothing, but this is far from the case! Just as the government is important to realising the API-proposed plan, so are you: the Abeldane citizen. For starters, it is important that you apply for an AbelPay account, since otherwise it will be impossible for you to get paid or to buy anything. Registering for an account is a very simple process that takes less than a minute, and gives you access to the entire Abeldane economy, as well as the opportunity to find employment or start your own business, which brings me to my second point: getting active in the system. To be an active participant in the Abeldane economy, you will need to either create your own business, or get a job. Should the government apply the suggestions found in this article, then it should be easy to find employment as a civil servant. Simply reach out to a government minister, MP or a member of the executive, and ask if they need any help. They're quite likely to either have something in mind for you, or to know someone else who does. Otherwise, you can always work for a private enterprise, which should hopefully advertise open positions at popular locations, such as on the Discord server. If you'd like more information about finding employment, or would like to know about your rights as a worker in Abelden, please click here. On the other hand, if you'd like to be your own boss, or you think that you'd have a better chance on your own, then it is recommended that you establish a private business. The API has already written a list of realistic and profitable business ideas, with a whopping 32 different enterprise types on offer. Feel free to browse this list and see if any of the ideas match with your skills, vision and personality. To access this list, as well as the rules surrounding business creation, click here. Please direct any related questions to the API Discord server, where our team would be happy to provide you with personalised assistance and advice. Hugh McFarlane Director, Abeldane Prosperity Institute
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For years, micronations the world over have tried and failed to create their own, independent economies. Each attempt to realise this goal has proven unsuccessful, due to various combinations of poor economic understanding, low citizen numbers, unrealistic expectations and misplaced priorities. In recent times, many micronationalists have come to regard economic development as an unreachable ambition, frustratingly reserved to macronations and macronations alone. This belief greatly frustrated Abeldane national, Hugh McFarlane, who saw crippling errors in micronational economic plans being repeated again and again, leading to the false perception that credible economies are impossible to create in the micronational context. It was this frustration which moved Mr. McFarlane to establish the Abeldane Prosperity Institute (API): an economic think tank which aims to advise Abeldane policymakers on creating a real and functioning economy.
As the API's Director, Mr. McFarlane drafted the institute's first policy proposal (source); putting forward an ambitious plan in which heavy government spending, sturdy regulations, pre-established financial infrastructure, an online transactions system, strategic monetary policy and a civilian effort would be used in tandem to establish the micronational community's first credible economy. The proposal received widespread support and was soon backed by leading figures within the nation, including the Emperor and Vorsitzender, who allowed Mr. McFarlane and API Research Fellow, Anthony Clark, to draft an Imperial Decree which would lay the legal and regulatory groundwork for any future Abeldane economy. With the passing of the Economic Decree (source) and the appointment of Mr. McFarlane as Imperial Economic Advisor, now is the time for the API to continue providing advice to the Imperial government as the nation moves towards finally kick starting its new economic plan. In addition to providing policy recommendations to the government, the API also hopes to assist regular Abeldane citizens with participating in the developing economy. To that end, informative sections have been added to the Institute's site, providing citizens with information relating to making online transactions, creating businesses, finding employment and relevant government legislation. Going further, the API will deepen its efforts to encourage economic development and participation through this publication, 'The Advisor', which shall focus on publishing opinion pieces concerning economic policy, both domestic and intermicronational. Mr. McFarlane has even suggested that in the future, the Institute may launch a 'Foreign Development Initiative', which would assist other micronations meeting certain criteria with the creation of their own economies. Whatever the case, it is clear that the API's future seems bright. Should its suggestions continue to garner national support, it is quite likely that Abelden will find itself with a functioning and credible economy by the end of the year. |
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