Otherworld Nation Founding Chronicles

Episode 139: Fiscal Reform

"Hey ... I dreamed like that."

"Oh, absolutely ... sleepy for that reason."

Nature and shrinkage come out.

I couldn't sleep too deeply.

the worst.

"The first person is" I "... I understand. I'll be careful."

Yulia nodded.

Well, I don't think we need to take it too soon.

"..."

"What happened? Tetra"

Tetra seems to be thinking a bit.

Has a difficult face.

"Hmm ... I was worried about that time ..."

I like ...

Such a topic.

The national finance of our country is one thousand Taranto.

Let me explain the breakdown.

Monopoly of salt ... 400 Taranto

Monopoly of paper .... one hundred talents

Exclusive monopoly of wine (distilled spirit).

Commercial tax …… one hundred Taranto

Local tax …… 300 Taranto

As you can see, most of the revenue comes from monopoly.

It may seem strange, but this is the national finance of a small country.

No country has changed.

The source of the Rosais clan comes from salt monopoly.

By the way, it is land tax that the decrease in revenue is confirmed in this.

He promised to lower taxes on soldiers when they set sail.

Honestly, I regret it ...

At that time there was no other way than that.

They simply abandoned their jobs, not a rebellion.

Suppressing it with the military would lead to a full-scale civil war.

For the most part, forcing them to the battlefield will not help.

The current local tax is 30%.

Change this to 10%.

Well, you can think that the land tax will be 100 Tarants by simple calculation.

Decrease of 100 talents ...

Well, it will be managed.

By the way, we are also concerned about spending.

The expenditure of our country is ...

Infrastructure development .... 200 Taranto

Labor costs ... 400 Taranto

Debt repayment: 200 talents (paid for 50 years)

Border Security ... Hundred Taranto

One hundred talents ...

Labor costs were originally low, but increased since I became king.

Bureaucrats ... because they hired so-called public servants.

You need money to hire people.

By the way, bureaucrats have increased their ability to collect taxes and their income has increased, so it is not meaningful to just hang them up.

You may think that border security costs are low, but in peacetime it's like this.

If there is a war, a temporary budget is set.

Of course, the flood control and the construction of the capital are also extraordinary budgets.

The problem is that the money in the money for savings has been lost.

Flood control, construction of the city, and war.

You can think of it as my cause. Or rather, it's my fault.

They also borrowed an additional thousand Taranto from a Greek merchant for the war.

Expenditures on debt repayments are expected to increase.

Incidentally, he has not received any compensation from the Kingdom of Roselle.

I guess it takes time to prepare a lot of money.

The plan is to receive it five months later.

The royal family who paid for land at the prize was paid for land, but the royal family who wanted silver was paid after receiving compensation.

"At this stage, we are not in serious financial difficulties, but we need to make major fiscal reforms in the future."

"I agree, too. Flood control and construction of the city have not yet been completed ... but what should I do?

No, it is not good.

A rebellion really happens.

Now, my popularity is at its peak.

The culmination means that when you fall, the head is large.

"First of all, it's a labor cost ... I will stop building a bureaucracy here to stop any further increase."

"It accounts for 40% of Japan's tax revenue ... but how do you pay your taxes?"

The traditional approach was to invite influential people, such as the village chief, to collect taxes.

However, there have been many instances where they have collected more taxes than the actual tax rate, dressed the difference, or underreported tax revenues.

That's why the policy was to strengthen bureaucracy and raise tax revenue.

However……

After all it seems to be tough.

The ideal is a country with a well-developed bureaucracy like modern Japan ...

A distinction between ideal and reality is necessary.

"I'm thinking about introducing a tax collector."

"A tax collector ...? What's the difference?"

"In a nutshell ... tax dressing was illegal until now. Make it legal."

In any case, no matter how much you crack down, clothes will not go away.

Then admit it from the beginning, and then crack it down.

"That's right ... I'd like to get 5% of the tax collected as my income."

Five percent is a reasonable amount.

Should not be bad for income.

"At the same time, give the commoners the right to sue the tax collector once a year. The contractor who loses the trial will seize all his property."

The confiscated property becomes the property of the accused commoner.

And this is the custom of this country ...

If a property is confiscated in a trial, half of the property goes to the national treasury.

This makes it harder for contractors to commit fraud,

The commoners keep an eye on the wrongdoing of the contractor.

The state is taxed, whether by contractors or not.

"Human resources available through the introduction of the contractor system will be collected for commercial taxes."

Commercial tax is a self-assessed tax.

Naturally, you can't follow a merchant and see how much you make.

Not so much time.

Although……

The merchant is properly governing the tax.

This is because if you want to do business inside a city, you need to ask the state for permission.

And instead govern the tax.

This allows some recovery.

……, but we haven't been able to collect taxes from peddlers walking across the villages or from markets that open on the streets.

Even if the peddler can't help it, he can't recover it from the market.

Now I will collect the tax from here.

And raise sales tax.

Previously it was 3%, but this will be changed to 5%.

This would be appropriate in light of Japan's economic growth.

After that, develop various industries ...

The problem is that they gave the exclusive rights to paper and spirits to the royal family.

New industries are needed.

I have to think about it.

And don't forget ...

"I want to strengthen the monopoly of salt."

"Is it salt?"

The main industry of King Rossais is rock salt.

The rock is 70% owned by the king, the other 20% by the Rosais clans, and 10% by the Australians.

In addition, our country controlled the rock salt of the king of Belvedir.

Perhaps 60-70% of the salt traded by Christian merchants is Japan's salt.

In order to bring rock salt into an oligopolistic state, I would like to start by suppressing all domestic salt.

"I want to nationalize all the rock salt that exists in the country .... I will provide land and money for the Australians and other Rossais clans."

"……So that's it"

In fact, Rymond holds 70% of the rocks of the Rosais clan.

Raymond was gifted to his predecessor during his brotherhood.

…… It may be a bit coward to say this after the death of the first king.

"I don't care. Land is fine. What about the tribe?"

"I'll convince it."

There are three major families in this country: the Rosais clan, the As clan, and the Diber clan.

And it is me who has the patriarchal power of the Clan of As, and Clan Divel has yielded to me.

Persuasion is easy.

However……

"Do you need land?"

"Does your Majesty want to reduce the land? I mean, you want to consolidate all the land under royal authority?"

...... Did you notice?

"If I am His Majesty, I think so. His Majesty has already been recognized as a king by the clans As and Divel. The people also believe in you. It's only natural to take power away from the disturbing Rosais clan to strengthen the royal power, for example, and the first king has gone down. "

Should I say that ...

I noticed it.

Did other royals know?

"Don't worry. Only I know this. And ... Bartolo, you may be aware, but he won't get in the way."

"Well ... will you cooperate?"

Raymond nodded at my question.

"The times can't be changed. The power of the commoners has increased, the power of the royal family has weakened, and your power has been increasing day by day. In this situation, we think that only the Rossais clan is safe. I'm not stupid too, for one thing, let the son of Julia be the next king, if you can't do that, please give me the form of a bridegroom from the clan of Rhosais. Let's work together to strengthen the kingdom. ''

"I see. I want you to be relieved. I also believe that making the son of Yulia the next prince is the first step in the stability of the country."

What is worrisome is whether Julia is under intense pressure.

Well Julia and I are nineteen.

I have a baby for another 20 years.

I think it's okay ... but I have to support it.

"That's fast, let's return all tax and military rights to the land owned by the clan of Rosais to His Majesty."

"It's good to talk quickly ... but is it okay?"

"Need conditions?"

One is to secure your status.

Two, pay Chiroku.

Third, acknowledge the private ownership of land owned by the Rosais clan. (It is subject to tax payment)

Four, take over debt.

Fifth, allow political participation in national politics.

"I think it will go smoothly with these conditions."

"Debt ... Is there so much debt?"

Raymond nodded.

"Some people borrow money for war or luxury. Because they have the right to collect taxes, the upper limit of borrowing is bad. It's bad .... Will you return with pleasure? "

...... I have debts.

Three months later, discussion with the Clan of Rosais was over, and all land owned by Clan of Rosais was returned to me.

The ruler, however, remains the clan of Rossais, as no substitute representative or autonomous organization is available.