Kalistani Major History

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Kalistani Premier calls for Restoration of RFB and NSP
Large changes coming for Kalistani Public Sector by 4764
Kaliburg, Ananto
September 1, 4763


Premier of the Republic Bennots calls for final action on RFB and NSP

In his recent Address to the National Assembly, Premier of the Republic Bennots called for final action on the Republic Food Bank and the National Service Programs.

"We have waited long enough, and now the final pieces are falling into place," said Bennots to vocal support from his Party.  "Kalistan is on firm footing with large investment from foreign and domestic actors, and now it is time to begin rolling back some of the most egregious aspects of liberalism and begin restoring ethical socialism to Kalistan."

The Premier announced a skeleton Food Bank first.  "We are passing legislation now that will increase and protect individual land owning and farming in the Republic.  The days of large scale agribusiness are over.  We still will make dispensation for foreign firms who have invested in our fields:  their investments will be protected.  But for domestic concerns, individual farms will spring up and put people back to work, with price supports and a guaranteed buyer for their goods.  We would like to turn huge swaths of the Republic into a fresh produce garden, utilizing all our climes and seasons to produce fresh, healthy and abundant food for all our people." 

The Premier stated his plan for replacing the market based bidding system, which tends to punish farmers in bountiful years and reward scarcity, with a new single government buyer, the Republican Food Bank, who would then use private sector distribution networks already established in the Republic to provide food supplements to Citizens free of charge.  "It is our hope that within five years, most people will acquire most of their produce and meat and dairy from the Food Bank.  Farms will benefit from increasing production to produce an excess of foods, and they know they will be able to sell all they grow to the Food Bank, and they can be sure it will go to feed people."  All food from the food bank will be provided to Kalistani citizens free of charge, and will exist alongside the private sector food production system which will provide non essential "choice" food at a profit to the sellers.

Additionally, the Premier seeks to re-establish the National Service Program.  "All citizens will be required, from here out to perform National Service when they have completed their education.  We know that workers are most productive when they are young, and as such, a four year stint of National Service during our most productive years will allow Kalistani citizens to claim a stake in their Republic once more!"  Under the NSP proposal, Kalistanis will be conscripted into a service corps and will be paid similar to a military pay scale.  They will be involved in creation and maintaining Kalistani infrastructure, extending services to rural communities, and providing auxiliary support in industries with labor shortages.  "Service will be mandatory for four years," said the Premier, "And will be expected of us all, regardless of our socio-economic status, but in exchange, we will will open free colleges and universities, and begin providing free essential services like power, housing and health care."

The secondary goal, according to the Premier was to restrict the labor market.  "We redirect the labor of the most productive citizens toward National Service, and meanwhile, four years' worth of workers stay out of the work force.  This creates a shortage of workers for all jobs, and employers must compete with one another for workers, especially skilled workers.  As a result, the workers increase in their bargaining power vis a vis employers, and once more the worker and the boss are equal.  Wages increase along with benefits, and with a wealthier workforce, as well as a guaranteed job, and the UBI, when we get this passed, and workers can be free to find jobs that suit them, without having to worry about starvation, and employers are forced to do things to hold onto their workers.  And meanwhile, we can cut social insurance, and save that money for when it is actually needed, rather than being caught without in trying times."

These ambitious changes to the economy are only ambitious in light of current liberal policy.  In fact, a food bank and a NSP have been  Kalistani policy for centuries, and the Premier is merely reauthorizing them and encouraging their use.

The RFB and the NSP are just the first two major economic reforms the Premier will move through the assembly, but other reforms will come after the Republic absorbs and addresses the shock of these two.  The Kalsie Index was mixed on the news of these acts, up .03% to 106.29.