Kanjor

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
FC INTRODUCES TAX REDUCTION AND BUDGET SHIFTING PROPOSAL
 
Finance Ministry, May 16, 5579:  Federation Canrille has introduced in the Chamber of Deputies a bill to add to the Infrastructure and Transport and to the Defense budgets while reducing the Environment and Tourism budget. The bill would further reduce sales taxes by about 40%. CLAIRON PICARD asked Finance Minister Michel Malfois for what the bill was aiming, and Malfois replied:
 

Several things.  The Defense budget increase would allow us to absorb the upkeep of the 4th Imperial Fleet, a gift from the United Kingdom, which would also allow existing funding to bring our submarines out of drydock.
 
The Infrastructure and Transport increase would allow us to subsidize building another nuclear reactor with a view to providing nuclear power to all of Silliers Province rather than just the capital.  It would also provide funding for completing the Trans Seleyan Railroad.
 
We hope this measure will make it through the Chamber of Deputies. If it does we can get to the difficult matter of pushing taxes down to acceptable levels.

Finance Minister Malfois

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
SSOG INVESTING IN ODUFART OIL DRILLING
 
Finance Ministry, May 26, 5580:  CLAIRON PICARD asked Finance Minister Michel Malfois what sort of economic interaction was going on with Rildanor, and he responded:
 

Well, several things are going on with our trading partner. One is South Seleyan Oil and Gas (SSOG) is investing in an oil drilling venture by Rildanor in the Odufart Sea as are our Lourennais brothers.
 
SSOG has long imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) for distribution in Numineux Province much of which goes to generate electricity. It has also acquired tankers to import LNG that run on LNG.  More recently SSOG has been importing crude oil and petroleum products from Kafuri National Oil Company and the Dorvish company Northern Oil and has built an oil refinery in Numineux.
 
This is the first time SSOG has been involved in oil exploration and extraction operations, but it is a natural expansion from its existing business model.

We are expecting a State Visit by Rildanor’s Governor General Marie L’Eclair and Foreign Minister Fleur Dubois which will among other things be discussing further economic ties.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
SECOND NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION PLANT IN SILLIERS PROVINCE
 

Ministry of Science and Technology, November 21, 5580:  Minister of Science and Technology

Fabrice Courbet today announced that a second nuclear power plant will be opened, this one in Afar.

The government will be subsidizing this expansion through low interest loans and grants. CLAIRON

PICARD asked Courbet what was the plan and he responded:

 

The Royal Institute de Toussaints was operating the Retraite-du-Roi Nuclear Reactor in 4685 and

after many years of only providing energy in and around the Institute had its facilities expanded so

that for much of the time since 4997 it has provided energy to the capital city. At times it has generated

electricity for much of Silliers Province for brief periods.

 

The new facility being built at Afar will allow us over time to have the two nuclear power generation

stations furnish electricity sufficient to service the entire Silliers Province electrical grid. Recent

budget increases have made this possible, and it is time to act.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
PREMIER ANNOUNCES ASSISTANCE TO RILDANOR FOR TSR
 

Office of the Premier, November 16, 5581:  Premier Constance Berthier announced today that at the

request of the Government of Empire Canrillais – Confederation rildanorienne, Communaute de

Kanjor is helping with the completion of the portion of the Trans Seleyan Railroad (TSR) running

from Kanjor through Rildanor to Mordusia.

 

The help will be coordinated by the Office of the Premier and consist of financial assistance voted by

the Chamber of Deputies and technical and engineering assistance as well as track laying crews

provided by Torges – Kanjo Ligne Ferroviare (TKLF), the railroad line involved in building a

railroad connecting Kanjo to the capital of Alduria.

 

The Government regards the TSR as vital to enhancing the Seleyan economy as a whole as well as

essential to unity of the Canrillaise Empire.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
SSOG AND OCEAZUR BRING IN QOS FOR OIL DRILLING
 
Finance Ministry, October 26, 5582:  During the State Visit of Governor General Marie L’éclair and Foreign Minister Fleur Dubois to  of Empire Canrillais – Confederation rildanorienne to Atyr, officials of OceAzur and South Seleyan Oil and Gas (SSOG) were discussing their oil drilling joint venture in the Odufart Sea.
 
It was understood OceAzur would be securing leases for the drilling rights while SSOG would be providing most of the upfront starting costs.  In point of fact SSOG was obtaining the funds for the start up from the venture capitalist Industrial and Commercial Banking Group.  Loan closing instructions were handled by Blanchard, Gamelin and Billotte.
 
Lourennais and Seleyan oil drilling talent would be hired but it has agreed the Majatran firm of Qat Oil Services with successful experience in Badara and Deltaria locating oil deposits, setting up oil rigs and safely extracting crude oil for transport to refineries should be retained to coordinate the operation.  SSOG is operating a refinery in Numineux Province.
 
Finance Minister Fabrice Courbet told Clairon Picard that while the project is expected to be quite profitable, it was most likely going to be supplying petroleum products to Kanjor and Rildanor rather than be in the export business and would be able to be a reserve in the event of petroleum product supply chain disruption because of political or military misadventures.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
PREMIER ANNOUNCES SOME STEPS TO SHORE UP UNION OF CANRILLE
 

Office of the Premier, April 16, 5583:  Premier Constance Berthier announced today that in view of

the changes in active participation in the Union of Canrille, some steps had been ordered. Asked by

CLAIRON PICARD if we were staying in the Union of Canrille, Berthier responded:

 

That is our current plan.  The ideals of the Union are commendable and we have been proud to be a

part of it.  There are some things that must be addressed and it looks like it is up to us to address them.

Quite a few actually but I will mention two.

 

First, there is a naval force deployed by the Empire in the Sea of Lost Souls and the chain of command

Is breaking  down. We are trying to get Imperial Command authority restored in the authorized

manner but should that fail our government will authorize the senior officer thereof, Admiral Antoine

Suchet, to take charge as Acting Chief of Imperial Command.

 

Second, a long term benefit of Union membership should be simplified access to Canraillaise military

hardware.  Accordingly, we will shortly announce a step already taken by Royaume Uni de Lourenne

and Communaute de Kanjor to greatly simplify this access.

 

We are quite aware that the economic and military capacity of the Union of Canrille is reduced but it

is not non-existent. We do feel it has a role to play and continue to support it.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD


Defense Minister Augereau
 
DEFENSE MINISTRY ON EMPIRE ISSUES

Defense Ministry May 13, 5584: CLAIRON PICARD asked Defense Minister Marcel Augereau what the recent naval activity was about and he replied:
 

With a lessening threat that the Majatran conflict would impact Seleya directly, it was generally felt that we could reduce the 45 or so ships including three aircraft carriers to a smaller force which is what Imperial Command has done.
 
Submarines and long range reconnaissance aircraft equipped to detect submarines are also patrolling so vigilance is continuing.  We have budgeted bringing our submarines out of drydock and expect to be able to have these join in the task.  Further, should a threat be detected the three Imperial Fleets will return to action forthwith.

 
Asked if Kanjor is likely to stay with the Union of Canrille, Augereau responded:
 

It is very likely.  It is a defensive alliance but considerably more than that.  Considerable mutual interaction is occurring among the members to promote economic growth.  Considerable.  My impression is all involved want that to continue.
 
The Union of Canrille is also a humanitarian organization.  Generally speaking we want to help when trouble arises.  There are obstacles and we can not be everywhere all the time.  But we are very much inclined to do so when we can.
 
This does lead to an issue we will be addressing. There is no doubt the Union of Canrille has less economic and military power than it did. No doubt at all.  So we have less  influence than we did.  But we do have some power and influence/.
 
So the question is do we want to remain small but focused on an achievable goal or expand our influence by becoming part of something larger.
 
Not sure but suppose we would like more influence – do we look at expanding our idea of who should be part of the Canrille Union or as the Canrille Union make arrangements with others similarly situated?  Expect to be addressing these issues soon.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD


Finance Minister Courbet
 
INTERACTION WITH RILDANOR BRINGS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES
 

Finance Ministry, October 21, 5584:  CLAIRON PICARD asked Finance Minister Fabrice Courbet

why the Government Corporation Bill was introduced by the Government in the Chamber of

Deputies, and he responded.

 

Beryllium.  It has been found in Rildanor and the Government of Rildanor has offered to let us import

some.  A scientist there has figured out how to extract it from a compound in a way that is not cost

prohibitive.  Which is quite an achievement following a really lucky find of a compound containing

this right rare brittle alkaline earth metal.

 

The legislation forms the Societe Nationale de Bourse Intermediare  (SNBI). SNBI is being formed so it can

purchase the beryllium from Rildanor for prompt resale to various businesses that can make good use

of it.

 

Beryllium has high flexural rigidity, high thermal conductivity, high thermal stability and low density

which make it a very useful element for the aerospace industry particularly for use in aircraft, missiles,

spacecraft and satellites.

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD


Defense Ministry
 
NAVY TO  BRING SUBMARINES BACK TO ACTIVE DUTY
 
Defense Ministry January13, 5585: CLAIRON PICARD’S Defense Ministry sources indicate the Chief of Naval Operations has ordered  the submarines in Task Forces 21 and 22 based at Afar and Picard be brought out of drydock and restored to combat capability.  Asked if this were true, Defense Minister Marcel Augereau responded:
 

Yes. Funds to do so have long been in the budget but absorbing the Lourennais gift of the 5th Imperial Fleet has had precedence.  Now that funds have been put in the budget for maintaining that fleet, we are in position to put our submarines back in service.  This will take a while but by 5588 putting them back in operation should be completed.
 
Imperial Command is currently operating the 2nd Imperial Fleet which is now based in Torges.  Interest on the funds held by the Bank of Canrille, an asset of the Union of Canrille,   is covering its expenses and those of the 10 Triomphe Class submarines of Imperial Submarine Command now based in Villebrun – sur – Mer which is still sending patrols to help prevent Majatran conflict spillover into Seleya.  At present, interest on those funds is sufficient to cover those expenses but renewed large scale operations would again eat into the principal.
 

[Drax]

CLAIRON PICARD
 
PREMIER ANNOUNCES TAXES AND CANRILLE UNION ARE ELECTION ISSUES
 
Office of the Premier, May 16, 5585:  Asked by CLAIRON PICARD what Federation Canrille would be running on in next election, Premier Constance Berthier replied:
 

Hardly a surprise but lowering taxes without budget deficits.  We have a bill in the Chamber of Deputies which is an intermediate step; we still have the hard work of cutting the budget given pressure of taking on new projects, but we will continue in a responsible manner toward having reasonable taxes.

 

We will also emphasize our commitment to work in the Union of Canrille for mutual economic growth and maintaining humanitarian ideals. There is a downside; projects cost money.  But we are advocates of the long term benefits of working with our fellow Canrillaise nations.

 

Asked if the defeat of the Kalopian Treaty for Peace, Freedom and Unity could be reversed she replied:

 

PDSP abstention killed it. We’ll look at relative strength after the next election.

Premier Berthier