As of the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month, 307 AC, the Secretary of Finance in the government of his Imperial Holiness announces a series of reforms for our great Empire’s economy, treasury and the institutions which manage it. Recent crises have shown a string of weaknesses and fundamental flaws, threatening stability and prosperity, and as such decisive and swift action is being taken to resolve this for the greater good. The decision has been made that, until the Bureaucracy can be sufficiently reorganised within the coming days and weeks, all expenditures from the State Treasury, no matter their scale, must be directed through myself. This will enable the government to hold greater check on its spending, and delegate expenses to where they are most needed to ensure continued financial success. Exception to this exists so that the Finance Secretary may delegate specified portions of state income over a decided long-term period to any individual or entity, which they may then distribute as they see fit. Meetings or correspondence with the Finance Secretary can be arranged through letter to her office (In Game DMs, Discord or Forums letter). Furthermore, all exchanges and expenditures from the State Treasury will be recorded in their entirety, and maintained for future reference. Any representative or official of His Imperial Holiness may formally request access to these documents for observance in regards to their own roles within the government. It has been deemed necessary to the welfare of the Empire that a full redraft of its systems of taxation must take place to ensure efficient collection and redistribution wherever it is due. As such, at the discretion of His Imperial Holiness, the Finance Secretary has decided that all existing financial treaties with the Feudal Lords and Vassal States of the Regalian Empire should be reconsidered. In addition, a similar process will occur for all forms of taxation that exist upon the people, enterprises and goods of this great Empire. It is duly noted this is an ambitious project that could very well take months to undergo, however it is fervently believed it is a necessity to securing the coffers of the Empire. However, all present arrangements of taxation and income will remain fixed and unchanged until if, or when, it is decided they should be renegotiated. To aide in this project and ensure its thoroughness and success, the Secretary of Finance shall initiate an Empire-wide Great Survey and Census of its vast lands and those who inhabit them. None of these aforementioned rearrangements and re-negotiations shall occur until this is prepared and analysed. To ensure that the previous mentioned reforms are enacted thoroughly, and the State Treasury is managed to its utmost effectiveness, the Finance Secretary announces the creation and formation of the Imperial Bank - an institution which will be developed with the task and intent of managing the finances of the Treasury, the State and the realm at large. This institution and its role will be discussed to a greater extent in the near future. To operate the Imperial Bank, as well as to play a significant role in the financial management of our great Empire, the Secretary of Finance is looking to hire individuals knowledgeable in Commerce and Finance, as well as Statesman skills as a whole. Anyone who is interested should direct a letter towards the Secretary of Finance - while members of the peerage will receive precedence in their roles, any and all of an educated and respectable background are welcomed to apply. As a final point of note to be addressed, the recent foolish and indecisive actions regarding the citizenship of Altalar have caused a great disturbance within this Empire. I grant my full support to those loyal and well-cultured Altalar, and am exceptionally glad to see the prior status-quo has been restored; nevertheless, there will remain lingering effects. In an act to relieve these issues, I will be providing a series of subsidies upon Altalar investment, trade and businesses - from the most ordinary tradespeople, to the wealthiest of merchants and aristocrats. I believe to be an act in restoring the confidence of these peoples in our great Empire, and as such it is in effect immediately. May these decision be a stepping stone to great fortune for our realm, and for her many citizens within. Spirit Protect, Her Ladyship, Anastasie de Letoirneau, Countess of Loiree-Bas, Vicereine of Nouveau-Brassigny, Financial Secretary for the Regalian Empire. Spoiler: tl;dr to summarise tl;dr if the nerdspeak is too much for you: - all state money has to be spent through me, but i can delegate income to people or groups to simplify process. - taxation changes throughout society, with a domesday-style census of the entire empire to organise things. nothing will change until they're renegotiated (or if) - an Imperial bank will be founded (eventually set up as an in game building too) as a centre for the finance secretariat. more on this soon! - legal and respectable Altalar businesses or groups can request subsidies from the state to support them over the next couple of weeks.
The Lord Chancellor throws yet another glass across her office. The detail posted outside hear her bellow after the shatter of glass, “Vhat zhe fuck is so difficult about running zhese fucking declarations by me—?!”
Rodrigo Peirgarten ran his eyes along the edict, trying to focus on it, but the amount of big words made him start skipping parts. Soon, he was skipping whole sentences. Oh, and now he was skipping entire paragraphs. And then he skipped the entire edict, putting it away on Amelina's desk, so that she can read it instead. As he began to walk out of the office, he muttered, "Too long didn't read."
Aleck grumbled lightly, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "More taxes, I pay enough fucking taxes." He tossed the paper into the forge, hammering down upon a glowing iron blade, swearing as it made contact. "Bastards and taxes.."
