Chapter 694: Chapter 392, Economic Reform and Development Plan
The Alliance system has always been overlooked by outsiders, yet it is actually one of Gu Hang’s ace moves.
It is especially suitable for rapid development from poverty. The welfare treatment meets the needs of the lower class to improve their living standards and offers opportunities for promotion. The centralized system can quickly develop certain key areas on a large scale and in a planned way as per the ruler’s needs.
And there’s a core point: the fruits of this rapid development do not have to be shared with the public. Although the public can also get promoted within the ranking system, climbing one level per year or even only moving up a level every few years after reaching D level, the cost of the corresponding increase in benefits and allowances is significantly different from the high-speed development gains of the whole society’s productivity.
The results of the development in-between are swallowed by the collective production’s owners, that is, the Alliance Government.
This system has many advantages, but also disadvantages. For example, it doesn’t matter if the Alliance Government reaps the benefits since, aside from paying the Imperial Tax and military construction, most of the wealth will be reinvested in social and developmental construction. Infrastructure construction, additional factories, and expansion of production capacity…
This infrastructure upgrade, city expansion, more and larger living spaces, more job opportunities, and more chances for promotion, in turn, improve the quality of life for the masses.
…
However, if systemic rigidity sets in, or the gains are consumed by bureaucrats, or due to poor decisions and systematic corruption leading to terrible waste, the situation becomes dire. If the public doesn’t benefit and the government lacks funds for development, it spells disaster.
This issue is something Gu Hang has always been vigilant about. The inspection departments of the administrative branch supervise, while the Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Alliance Legal Affairs Center, the Demon Hunter Organization, and the Alliance Internal Affairs Department have three-tiered supervision permissions and even oversee each other.
At present, the Alliance’s system is running quite well and basically meets Gu Hang’s expectations.
This is evident in Rage Owl Star, Heijian Star, and on Korolya.
There’s no need to elaborate on the first two; on Korolya, the Alliance-form reform has been going quite well.
Over the past year or so, while Gu Hang’s attention may have been on dealing with the Fatches Family, the reforms in Korolya have never been relaxed and are advancing at a rapid pace.
In any reform zone, relying on tens of thousands of loyal officials trained with favor points from the Loyal Heir Academy as the core backbone, numerous newly graduated officers from the academy, and officers transferred from Rage Owl Star and Heijian Star, with the assistance of the original Korolya Planetary Government officials, the Alliance reform can be quickly implemented.
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As soon as materials are in place and ranks are determined, many problems are directly solved, there’s no need for combat in securing order, and troops can be withdrawn.
In the reform of Korolya, the Alliance was not in a hurry, taking it one Nest Capital, one district after another. Administrative officers would lead with resources, providing job opportunities, undertaking political reforms, and developing industries—all tried and tested methods.
In places yet to be reformed, propaganda can take the lead. By truthfully describing the good life and treatment enjoyed by people in other areas, many places eagerly await such changes. When the policies do roll out, there’s very little resistance.
Once the support of the lower-class and all relevant propaganda is in place, and the Alliance has absolute military force, those who might hinder the reforms, power groups, and entrenched interest collectives are nothing but chickens and dogs easily snuffed out.
But smooth sailing in Korolya doesn’t mean the same in Fatchess. The situations in both places are entirely different, and a straightforward transplantation of systems won’t do for the relatively developed Fatchess.
Yet, if the Alliance system cannot be established in the Fatchess Tri-Star, it would be dire, directly affecting the Alliance’s control over these three stars and preventing their full integration into the Alliance.
Governing them like most worlds under the Central Empire isn’t unmanageable, but it’s troublesome.
The Alliance Government has obtained production reports spanning decades from the former United Government. In the last twenty years, there has been virtually no economic growth in the Fatchess Tri-Star, maintaining an annual agro-industrial output value of around 260 billion.
From this standpoint, the development level of the Fatchess Tri-Star is not quite at 3, but more like 2.6.
No wonder the Fatches Family had such a big reaction to the downgrading of their three planets to level 3. Although at first glance, it doesn’t seem as terrifying as a hundred billion in fines, the repercussions of this decision are long-term.
For the Central Empire, in theory, judging the development level of a planet should adopt a dynamic equilibrium approach: high development merits more tax; and in case of difficulties, they should collect less. Lowering the development level seems reasonable.
However, while this mechanism exists, it’s practically ineffectual. Elevating the development level can swiftly go through the approval process once reviewed by the Star Sector Government, largely depending on what the Star Sector says; but if you want to lower it, it’s exceedingly difficult. Once set by the Star Sector, it must be reported all the way up to the Central Empire, with any layer potentially rejecting it.