Brickston News Cooperation (BNC, English Regional)
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Import volume nearly halved over the last year; exports see increase of 13%
Richard Albert-Muller
The analysis of the four fiscal quarters of the year has found that imports of foreign goods have fallen significantly by nearly 50%. According to economists, this has been caused by greater domestic production, reducing dependence on foreign goods. This dependency is seen in specific sectors, primarily raw materials and fabrics. That dependency has now shrunk, with the expansion of domestic MNCs such as Reyali, Walksweagan and Siemens Brickland.
The market boom of this year, particularly in urban areas of Brickston, has resulted in cost efficiency of manufacturing and selling goods, allowing domestic producers to generate adequate revenue.
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How gentrification helped impoverished Brickston transform
Despite having been through tremulous times, the old capitalist West Brickston Federation brought civil order and dazzling infrastructure through building on its strength: social mobility.
Brickston was historically an impoverished country, even more emphasised during the dictatorial eras of the country. However, it was characterised by low levels of income inequality due to its internal revenue system since the medieval era. Instead of one ruler, since the beginning of time, assemblies of common people and bourgeoisie used to run the region in every aspect. West Brickston caught on to this and introduced a system of flat taxes and a unique multi-dimensional revenue system, which effectively increase the government budget by 50%. One of the projects subsidised by this budget was to gentrify the cities and then the towns. The Federation Assembly demanded for unsatisfactory infrastructure to be torn down. This did cause outrage, but also resulted in long-term benefits. As income was mostly flat in Brickston, it was able to gentrify urban districts quicker as there wasn't nearly as much controversy as in places of higher wealth inequality. As wealth concentrated in an equitable way, living standards in cities improved. This is what partly caused the economic booms in the 1990s after foreign investment skyrocketed due to gentrification. This, however, brought housing prices up, making housing unaffordable to many sections of the society. This problem has now almost entirely been absorbed by higher incomes and more space. As rural space is largely left uncultivated, urban regions are expanding and supply is meeting demand.
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"Right of Free Speech" Act elevated to full capacity
Angela Burrman
All individuals are now allowed to speak their word without any restriction or filter, the legislation has ruled. Due to this change, all free speech is now allowed, given that public order is established and hate is not spread towards a certain group of society. Race and religion remain protected; however, nationality and sexual orientation are only partially protected, holding varying regulations. This has turned out to be controversial, as the laws before protected against these two categories as well. These laws do not apply in professional settings, where the old laws remain. Reference to immigrants in a vulgar fashion had also been previously outlawed, which has now been relaxed.
Reference to the leader Maduro is allowed, but any reference to liking towards his ideology remains outlawed. Commercial places can restrict certain people from getting in without giving a reason for it, which has turned out to be the most controversial change of all. However, they cannot charge different people different prices for goods.
Disrespecting and damaging religious texts is solely allowed if it is not done in a public area, a mass gathering or a religious institution and if the religious text belongs to the person damaging it. Propagating religion is allowed; however, forcing conversions or providing compensation as a bribe to change religion is banned.
Referring to race, religion, sexual orientation and disabilities or having prejudice for these reasons is banned strictly in all educational institutions among both pupils and lecturers.
Race can always be referred to; however, it must not be accompanied by racial slurs and/or any verbal aggression.
Pay disparities on gender, race, religion and nationality are outlawed. All genders are to be treated equally. However, beliefs about genders can be propagated to any extent without causing hate among the public.
Several public programmes in educational institutions and metropolitan plazas have been initiated to spread awareness about equality and social institutions have steadily been growing.
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Lavoie govt. cuts welfare spending to 14% from 25% announced in April Budget Session
Petris Duke
The country's Minister of Finance, Joseph Peretz, presented the annual budget for the session of 2022-2023 in both the National Parliament in Portovo and Supreme Authoritee Councils in Canton Doh. The most stirring information of the budget was found to be the welfare spending, cut to 14% from 25% last year. Additionally, the government has updated the guidelines for citizens to be eligible for welfare schemes, which has reduced eligibility among citizens. Many opposition leaders, spokespersons and activists have raised the issue in various parts of the country. However, the government defended the legislation, stating that incomes have risen proportionally and that employment was much more effective in reducing poverty. They further added that the poverty rate has been extremely low as of recent.
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Okonkwo: Miche's name as long as his hypocrisy and lies
Serene Dawner
In the Portovo Presidential State Press Conference that sent shockwaves through Brickston's political landscape, President Okonkwo Cyryl Lavoie did not mince words as he launched a scathing attack on Miche Arnoldschwesterenden, the party president of the opposition Labour Party. President Lavoie referred to Arnoldschwesterenden as a man whose name is just as long as the amount of hypocrisy and lies he has allegedly spread, sparking intense debate and controversy across the nation.
President Lavoie, known for his blunt and confrontational style, did not hold back in his criticism of Arnoldschwesterenden. He accused the Labour Party president of misleading the public and engaging in deceptive practices for his own political gain during his term as President. The President questioned Miche's sincerity and integrity, casting doubt on his commitment to the welfare of the people.
"What kind of leader hides behind a name that's as long as the list of his hypocrisy and lies?" President Lavoie exclaimed during the press conference. "Miche Arnoldschwesterenden, your name may be lengthy, but your deceitful actions speak volumes."
Arnoldschwesterenden, for his part, swiftly responded to President Lavoie's remarks, calling them baseless and defamatory. In a statement issued by the Labour Party, Arnoldschwesterenden accused President Lavoie of engaging in desperate tactics to undermine the opposition and distract from the real issues affecting the country.
Okonkwo further elaborated his statements later made by pointing towards the lack of transparency and integrity Miche had, especially during the East Brickston Economic Integration Reformation, after nearly 30 years of communist rule in East Brickston until 1979.
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Election preparations reach the end as polls open tomorrow
Frederik Guesse
As the elections dawn near, political parties are gathering the support of the average Briekish citizen. Demokratiska Partiet, the current ruling party, has carried out a series of rallies and has released their most diverse manifesto in the history of Briekish politics. Support is crucial for all major parties, as many parties have vouched for policies or statements that have been inferred as controversial among the Briekish public. For instance, the opposition party introduced a progressive tax policy in some of their districts, which was popular among the less fortunate classes of people. However, it was vexed for the rest to gain support for the policy. The ruling party too, had its conundrums, as they failed to integrate certain regions of East Brickston which were not funded well enough.
As Brickston follows a semi-plebiscite system of voting, all citizens will be encouraged to vote for a national party and a regional party separately. In certain metropolitan regions, online voting is now an available feature which is accessible by downloading the EC-Brickston app or visiting appropriate government websites. Polling stations are, however, also available.
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Canton-Yormanes Belt to receive over 15 billion Dubbeh from West Brickland Development Authority
Sarah Goldsmith
Yormanes, the tech capital of BricklandThe West Brickston Development Authority has granted funding for the development of the Yormanes-Canton Belt of over 15 billion Briekish Dubbeh for investment on various projects that will further mobilise the region to be a strong competitor to other tech hubs around the world. The belt, especially the Yormanes Area, is best known for its significance in the technology sector, and is home to the headquarters for many Briekish and foreign multinational tech companies. The Canton region is better known for its contributions to trade, science and politics, but shall soon be designed to be a lucrative market for tech companies. Siemens Brickland, Oracle Corporation and Reyali Technology & Consultancy Services have partnered to further build a tech park at the outskirts of Yormanes near the meadows of Reigleansom village, whose authorities have permitted the construction of it.
The GDP of the belt altogether already surpasses that of the Himmeruckend Bay Area.
Canton Gateway Bridge, Canton Arrondissement -
BREAKING NEWS
Overhaul of the Tax System?/Reform des Steuersystems?
On request of the Briekish Government and the Presidential Administration
Talks about a new tax system replacing all current taxes is underway for the next economic year
The President, his Administration, the Treasury, the Finance Minister, the Autonomous Economic Regions Authority, The Cabinet of Monetary Research, and the Foreign Minister, bring an important notice.
Section 1:
[Der Neuordnung] New Tax System Referendum/[Der Neuordnung] Neues Steuersystem
There will be a national referendum on the implementation of "Der Neuordnung", the new tax system proposed by many members of Parliament and endorsed by the President. The resolution has already passed in the Parliament. However, under guidelines issued by the Court of Justice, a nationwide referendum was deemed necessary. All details about the new tax system are given below in later sections of this article. The referendum voting process excludes [all date-based restrictions refer to the date 23/09/2023]:
- All under the age of 18
- All non-residents [excluding citizens overseas for less than 10 years]
- All individuals with proven criminal charges who are currently in legal confinement [prisons, house arrest, etc]
- All citizens overseas for more than 10 years
Section 2
Benefits of Land-Value Tax over Property Tax
(i): Property tax is the current taxation system used for taxing the ownership of property assets in Brickston. Property tax takes into account not only the value of the land which an individual owns, but also the value of construction, maintenance and renovation of the structures constructed upon it. This tax is currently collected on a yearly basis at a flat rate of 1.1%.
Property tax is a disincentive for landowners to develop the land that they own, hampering the country's development. It has led to thousands of structures being left in decay amidst the excruciatingly burdening system.
(ii): Land value tax, under this resolution, will replace property taxes entirely. Land value tax, unlike property taxes, taxes properties solely based on the land value and not on what is built on it. It is an incentive for landowners to develop their land and is seen as economically beneficial.
Section 3
Abolishing of Corporate Tax & Capital Gains Tax
Under this proposition, the corporation tax will be abolished, meaning that corporations will no longer be obliged to pay the current 1% flat corporate tax for Briekish businesses, 2% for foreign businesses and 3% for all businesses selling alcohol or tobacco. Capital gains tax will also be fully abolished.
Section 4
Proportion of taxes contributing to federal, provincial and county/regional governments
A1: General Rules
(i): The treasury and the Ministry of Finance is responsible for allocating the federal budget of the state of mainland Brickston and all Overseas Territories, excluding Norden Isle.
(ii): The Federal Government will be responsible for allocating its budget to various sectors and services of the country.
(iii): The Federal Government cannot regulate the budget allocation/handling of provincial governments, but can set benchmarks that provincial governments may be obliged to follow.
(iv): The Federal Government can only set regulations for budget allocation for key services such as education, healthcare and law enforcement in county governments.
(v): Both the Provincial Governments and the County Governments will be obliged to provide its jurisdiction with a Department dedicated to overseeing budget allocation to see if it is adequate.
(vi): The courts of jurisdictions will be accountable to review the budget allocation process and the appropriateness of monetary handling by all individuals/bodies involved.
A2: Proportions for different taxes
(i): Income Taxes
The following tax proportions apply to all provinces on the Briekish Mainland only. See external sources for other information.
Federal Government: 47%
Provincial Governments: 30% [All goes to the province the individual belongs to]
County Governments: 21% [19% goes to the county the individual belongs to]
Municipal Governments: 1%
Special Economic Zones: 0.6%
Other: 0.4%
(ii): National Insurance Contributions
The following tax proportions apply to all of Brickston and its overseas territories.
National Healthcare Service: 46%
Disaster Management Insurance: 17%
National State Pension: 14%
Debt Clearance Interest: 7%
Disability Benefit: 6%
Maternity Allowance: 5%
Bereavement Benefit: 2%
Other: 3%
(iii): Land Value Tax
The following tax proportions apply to only the Briekish mainland.
Federal Government: 60%
Provincial Governments: 10% [All of this goes to the province the individual belongs to]
County Governments: 25% [All of this goes to the county the individual belongs to]
Municipal Governments: 5% [All of this goes to the municipal counties of the province an individual belongs to]
(iv): Value-added Tax
The following tax proportions apply to only the Briekish mainland.
Federal Government: 27%
Provincial Government: 33% [All of this goes to the province the individual belongs to]
County Government: 40% [All of this goes to the county the individual belongs to]
(v): Municipal Council Tax
The taxes are only levied in municipal regions with more than 100,000 inhabitants.
Municipal Council/Borough the taxpayer inhabits: 95%
Municipal Region the Council belongs to: 5%
(vi): Inheritance Tax
The referendum will re-introduce inheritance tax on all of the Briekish Mainland.
Federal Government: 99.99%
Other: 0.01%
Section 5: Tax Brackets
(i): Income Tax
Income Tax has no brackets, and is a tax imposed at a flat rate of 6%. Deductions will continue to exist [non-taxable income].
Deductions:
Type Specifications Maximum Amount held in Deductions (at exchange rate €1=D¥1.88) Type A Single Taxpayer D¥3,600 Type B Couple Taxpayer D¥3,900 Type C Veteran Taxpayer D¥4,500 Income Tax:
Type Specifications Percentage Type A Single Taxpayer 6% Type B Couple Taxpayer 6% Type C Veteran Taxpayer 0%
(ii): National Insurance Contributions
Type Specifications Maximum Amount held in Deductions (at exchange rate €1=D¥1.88) Type A Single Taxpayer 1% Type B Couple Taxpayer 1% Type C Veteran Taxpayer 0%
(iii): Land Value Tax
Type Specifications Percentage of Land value/Value (at exchange rate €1=D¥1.88) Type A Land used for Agriculture/Pastures 7%+D¥1,200 Type B Shop/Commercial Area 8%+D¥4,500 Type C Council Housing/Elderly Housing 6% Type D Land owned by a veteran 7% Type H Heritage Estates 12% Type G General [All other] 16%
(iv): Value-added Tax
Type Specifications Percentage Tax Standard Rate Most Goods and Services 8% Reduced Rate Essential Goods and Services [Food, clothing, etc] 2%
(v): Inheritance Tax
Inheritance Tax, under this resolution, will be progressive taxation.
(i): System for Briekish Mainland excluding Himmeruckend, Norden Isle & Neue Amsterdamme
Tax Bracket Range Percentage Tax Bracket A 0D¥-15,000D¥ 1% Bracket B 15,001D¥-100,000D¥ 3% Bracket C 100,001D¥-500,000D¥ 7% Bracket D >500,000D¥ 11% (ii): System for Himmeruckend & Neue Amsterdamme
Tax Bracket Range Percentage Tax Bracket A 0D¥-15,000D¥ 1% Bracket B 15,001D¥-100,000D¥ 3% Bracket C 100,001D¥-500,000D¥ 5% Bracket D >500,000D¥ 7% (iii): System for Norden Isle
Tax Bracket Range Percentage Tax Bracket A 0D¥-50,000D¥ 0% Bracket B 50,001-200,000D¥ 1% Bracket C 200,001-700,000D¥ 2% Bracket D >700,000D¥ 3%
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"It's time we understood the difference between illegal immigrants and refugees"
Reginald Green
The President in a press conference today commented on the harsh immigration policies brought about by the Lavoie Administration. On being asked about his harsh stance on immigration, he replied that it is about safety. "Our country's immigration system may seem harsh by European standards, but all we want to do is make sure the country is safe and does not degenerate. In many countries, thousands of illegal immigrants can waltz into their country without any legitimate documentation while claiming refugee status without legitimacy. It's really, it's a failure of the immigration system in those countries. We allow refugees into the country. We are not opposed to that in any shape or form. But we do not support illegal immigration, and that is a stance that will not change regardless of the administration. And it's not like we're opposed to immigration. This country is a nation of immigrants. But they have to come in legally."
Lavoie's speech has caused waves in the media and on the internet.
