Land claims
Land claims need to be
dealt with swiftly and finally.
Citizens must be in no doubt of the government’s policy on
protection of legally obtained private property. Relocation of illegal settlements will be
made to appropriate sites close to their present settlements. This relocation will be final with each
resident being formally awarded a plot of land. Development of legally owned land will be
the responsibility of the owner but aided by prison labour
and the government’s free building materials.
Fiscal and monetary policy
The regional currency
will be pegged to the Euro (EUR).
This will be done while still maintaining independent control of
local interest rates.
Income tax will be
abolished and replaced by a 25% value added tax (VAT). This will redistribute the tax burden
fairly among consumers of non-exempt products. It will also incentivise
a movement toward formal employment as well as lower the cost of tax
collection.
Basic products will be
exempt from VAT including: bread, milk, water, baby food and formula,
children’s clothes and school uniforms. This policy will shift the tax
burden to the largest consumers of goods rather than the largest producers
of wealth and employment.
Corporate taxation will
be lowered to encourage the creation of profitable new enterprise. Foreign
investment and property protection will be more heavily entrenched in law.
The government will
underwrite banks to make secured micro loans for housing and housing
improvement. This will be done at a deep discount to prevailing interest
rates. The use of the loan will be
strictly monitored and only defined home-building and improvement work will
be allowed. This loan will be available to all. Banks making discounted loans will be
expected to make back the shortfall through the development of further
chargeable services.
A cash equivalent system
will be incorporated within the new biometric ID card. All retail transactions will eventually
be done using this card. This will
reduce the use of cash and hence reduce the incentive for robbery. Major banks will
develop this programme under the direction of the
government.
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2008 Progressive Initiative. The Progressive Initiative
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