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Bill: Budget and Tax Reforms
Details
Submitted by[?]: Union Socialism Alliance
Status[?]: passed
Votes: This bill proposes to change the allocation of funds in the budget. It requires more than half of the legislature to vote yes. This bill will not pass any sooner than the deadline.
Voting deadline: October 2937
Description[?]:
| The Union Socialism Alliance propose to adjust the government's spending budget to better address the economic and social situation of the Socialist Republic of Ikradon. With a relatively large surplus, the minister saw the chance of maximizing services, efficiency and effectiveness of the government and the concerned departments. Further, because the government will still have a considerable sized surplus after this budget reform, and to lighten the weight on those who are relatively less well off, the minister proposes a tax break on essential goods. Minister Gomez Henriquez, Department of Finance |
Proposals
Article 1
Proposal[?] to change Sales tax on essential goods such as food and non-luxury clothing.
Old value:: 2
Current: 10
Proposed: 0
Article 2
| Ministry | Current Budget | Old Budget | Propesed Budget |
| Head of Government | 100,000,000 IKD | 500,000,000 IKD | 25,000,000,000 IKD |
| Foreign Affairs | 8,000,000,000 IKD | 10,000,000,000 IKD | 100,000,000,000 IKD |
| Internal Affairs | 50,000,000,000 IKD | 250,000,000,000 IKD | 250,000,000,000 IKD |
| Finance | 1,000,000,000 IKD | 10,000,000,000 IKD | 25,000,000,000 IKD |
| Defence | 98,000,000,000 IKD | 400,000,000,000 IKD | 400,000,000,000 IKD |
| Justice | 90,000,000,000 IKD | 300,000,000,000 IKD | 400,000,000,000 IKD |
| Infrastructure and Transport | 350,000,000,000 IKD | 25,000,000,000 IKD | 250,000,000,000 IKD |
| Health and Social Services | 45,000,000,000 IKD | 600,000,000,000 IKD | 750,000,000,000 IKD |
| Education and Culture | 50,000,000,000 IKD | 400,000,000,000 IKD | 750,000,000,000 IKD |
| Science and Technology | 50,000,000,000 IKD | 2,500,000,000 IKD | 25,000,000,000 IKD |
| Food and Agriculture | 30,000,000,000 IKD | 650,000,000 IKD | 12,500,000,000 IKD |
| Environment and Tourism | 70,000,000,000 IKD | 20,000,000,000 IKD | 200,000,000,000 IKD |
| Trade and Industry | 9,700,000,000 IKD | 300,000,000,000 IKD | 300,000,000,000 IKD |
| Total | 851,800,000,000 IKD | 2,318,650,000,000 IKD | 3,487,500,000,000 IKD |
Debate
These messages have been posted to debate on this bill:
| Date | 14:05:54, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Anarcho-Primitivist Concern | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | So we're cutting tax and raising spending? Is this viable? If so, I would like to know why we're increasing the money given to central government by a factor of 50 at a time when we're so keen on decentralisation. We don't think that the government should spend more on it's political class than it does on providing food. The same is true with foreign affairs. Why spend ten times as much money on impressing foreign nations as we do on feeding our own population? We would also love to see increases to the science budget. Food and machinery are vitally important to any state, they should not be receiving less funding than any other department. |
| Date | 15:32:24, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Progressive Centrist Democrats | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | The PCD shares the worries of the RMS. Though we support the abolishment of the sales tax for basic goods, we cannot fully understand the neccessity of a massive expansion of the HoG and Finance budgets. This is not at all the efficiency and effectiveness that the Minister of Finance has announced. Besides that we would rather see the money given back to the people rather then being pumped into bureaucratic waste. But here we simply basically disagree with the socialist utopia plans of the government. The government has many vital tasks, but in general we do not believe in an omnipotent government. A bureaucracy cannot plan all the different people's needs. Only they themselves can do. That's why we support a market economy. The government has to set the rules and ensure that everyone can take part in the market. But a government cannot and should not provide everything imaginable. People must get help if they need it but should take care of their own life in general. - Jessica Fields PCD Finance Shadow Minister |
| Date | 18:03:32, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Union Socialism Alliance | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | No, in most cases it is not viable. However, Ikradon has for many years had a relatively large governmental surplus, and that is why we propose this bill. The loss suffered by the abolishment of sales tax on essential goods, is only minimal, with no more than one-hundred and fifty thousand (150.000) a year. with this budger we would still have a considerable sized surplus. We will definitely look at the suggestions and concerns of the RMS and the PCD, but I while try to explain my decisions. As for the head of government increase in funding, it is not fully for the central government, it shall be used to help fund the local governments of Ikradon too. The foreign affairs funding is not to impress other nations, it is to try to boost tourism to Ikradon, as both Minister Nava and Minister Abath, from the departments of Environment & Tourism and Infrastructure & Transport, has been working hard trying to modernize the country and reel in tourists. And it has been used greatly, with new, better relations with several nations as well as ratifying treaties, thanks to the funding increase and the great work of former minister Madinkov, and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Tassadar. As for the Finance department receiving an increase of spending, I think that with the expected result of tourists, and thus increase in taxes for the government, the finance department must have the quality and quantity of personnel to handle and research what should happen with these funds, with taxes and investigate what should happen with our currency, and foreign currencies acceptance. I also do not see how this department's raise is at all so drastic. Regarding the Science & Technology department, I assure it will receive it's raise in due time, but right now it is the infrastructure & transport department that needs the funding, but as soon as this department is done with it's project, I will expect a raise for this department, as a true modernized Ikradon will need to have participation of this department, and it's project, including the mass modernization of the nation's space agency. And last, but certainly not least, the Food & Agriculture department, where an increase has been long overdue. I felt that this department needed increase, and my department estimates was that of an almost 200% increase. The department of finance has not received any specific amount, nor any detailed plans or financial statement of this department. I do feel though, that the estimate given by my department is more or less right on the money. But I would certainly consider and give this department it's due raise in the next budget proposal. And concerning the suggestion made by the PCD, any kind of free market, even one being regulated, still manifests greed and puts power in only a few of the people. Ikradon need not a free market system, it has survived well under the current system. I hope to have informed the Revolutionary Marxist Solipsist, the Progressive Centrist Democrats and Ms. Jessica Fields sufficiently. Minister Gomez Henriquez, Department of Finance. |
| Date | 19:15:48, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Progressive Centrist Democrats | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | The PCD feels informed enough to reject this budget. |
| Date | 20:07:01, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Anarcho-Primitivist Concern | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | We would arrange the budget differently. The RMS would prefer to fund food production in the hope of reducing the living cost across the board, and would fund research so that Ikradon could take it's rightful place at the forefront of scientific development. However, we believe that the USA's experts have the good of the working classes at heart and we will support the budget. |
| Date | 21:34:45, May 10, 2010 CET | From | Union Socialism Alliance | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | The Progressive Centrist Democrats would do well to remind it's voters that they voted against the funding increase in most departments and against the abolishment of essential goods sales tax come election time. I thank, in the name of the Department of Finance, and Union Socialism Alliance, the Revolutionary Marxist Solipsist for their support, and I pledge to give the respective Department of Food & Agriculture, and the Department of Science & Technology, it's due raise in fundings as soon as possible, but no later than two elections from now. Minister Gomez Henriquez, Department of Finance. |
| Date | 18:14:02, May 11, 2010 CET | From | Union Socialism Alliance | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | I would like to ask for the support of this bill from both the Dark Templar and the Foucauldian Fortitude Party, and maybe even the Progressive Centrist Democrats could change their mind. I would atleast ask the reasoning behind the abstainment or rejection of the bill, by the DT and the FFP. Minister Gomez Henriquez Department of Finance |
| Date | 06:09:03, May 12, 2010 CET | From | Union Socialism Alliance | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | As last act as Minister of Finance, under the supervision of the new Interim Head of Department, I propose this bill in the National Assembly. Minister Gomez Henriquez Resigning Minister of Finance Department of Finance Deputy Serge Mansur Interim Head of Department Department of Finance |
| Date | 11:12:03, May 12, 2010 CET | From | Peoples' Liberation Front | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | We can argue the finer points of the budget another time. We currently have a massive surplus. A surplus of this size which will be building up year on year has the potential to cause massive economic instability caused by rising interest rates and devaluation of our currency. PLF Financial spokesperson |
| Date | 16:36:56, May 12, 2010 CET | From | Union Socialism Alliance | To | Debating the Budget and Tax Reforms |
| Message | I thank both the RMS and the PLF for the support of this bill. As former minister of Finance, I would be glad to see this bill passed. Gomez Henriquez, Commissar on Finance, Union Socialism Alliance |
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Voting
| Vote | Seats | ||||||
| yes |
Total Seats: 488 | ||||||
| no | Total Seats: 111 | ||||||
| abstain | Total Seats: 0 |
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