Bulgarian Empire

Chapter 16: Planned Economy

After dismissing the cabinet, Ferdinand called out to the door, "Butler Karl, inform our men to come to the meeting."

"Yes, Your Highness!" Karl, the old butler, returned in a loud voice.

After half an hour, Ferdinand summoned the crowd and said, "Gentlemen, please sit down. All of you have come to Bulgaria with me from Austria-Hungary. Everyone is basically clear about the situation now."

"Bulgaria is only a small country. It's not easy to grow and develop like one. For now I need everyone's help." After Ferdinand finished his sentence, he glanced down.

"Your Highness, it is our honor to serve you!" Franz and the others said in unison.

Ferdinand was pleased with the crowd's reaction and said with a smile, "Well, without further ado, let's expand our industry first. Although the market in Bulgaria is still small, but there is also little interference!"

"But Your Highness, with the terrible access conditions in Bulgaria, it is difficult for our products to be competitive in the international arena!" Wilhelm said in a depressed voice.

"Oh, Mr. Wilhelm, I know it's difficult, but isn't there you guys! You can look at the Balkan market. There is a good choice of domestic, Greece and Serbia, as well as Turkey!" Ferdinand proposed, knowing Wilhelm's worries.

"Well, Your Highness, then I understand. If that's all, it shouldn't be a big problem. But they're all poor, and the profits won't be too high!" Wilhelm warned.

"Sure, I know this. For the international market, isn't there still a factory in Austria-Hungary! Your focus at the moment is still over there. The main competitors for flour mills over here are family mills and logistics!" Ferdinand said with some depression.

After saying that, Ferdinand looked at the others and said, "You won't have a problem, will you!"

Looking at the silent crowd, Ferdinand said glumly, "It seems that the road must still be built first! I will get the cabinet to make a railroad plan and issue public bonds as soon as possible."

...

Despite having long been prepared, Ferdinand was still depressed. It was still a headache for him as to where Bulgaria's future should go.

In his mind, he calculated, "How does the high-end route go? Internal combustion engines, cars, aircraft, tanks and other things are still quite far away. These things are not something Bulgaria can figure out."

"Even if it comes out, it can still be sold inside. When it goes out, it will be beaten up by other local businesses. The industrial foundation is too poor!"

"Now it is better to slowly raise the farm. The industrial base that really can not be helped, need to slowly made up and require state support."

"It's better to convince the group of centrist cabinet first. Forget it, it's better to use big data directly because young people have little patience. They can make a five-year plan and adopt a planned economy that suits their appetite. There are no capitalists in Bulgaria who come out against it now."

The spring breeze blew through the Sofia Palace in 1887. The grass, which had been sleeping all winter, had awakened and stubbornly stuck its head out of the ground. Although only a little green was visible, it was full of life.

After a five-month survey, the cabinet concluded that Bulgaria was poor in natural resources. The previously submitted industrial plans had long since been thrown into the Mediterranean.

"All right, everyone, cheer up! The lack of natural resources is not without ways to make up for it." Ferdinand reassured them.

"Your Highness, are you planning to start a war?" With his eyes shining, Stambolov asked him.

Ferdinand secretly thought: "The Bulgarians are worthy of being the Prussians of the Balkans. They are really warlike, just look at this cabinet. No wonder in history, with a population of more than four million, they mobilized more than one million two hundred thousand troops!"

He rolled his eyes and said, "No, right now we don't have the strength to start a war! Although Bulgaria lacks mineral resources, it is still strategically located; the government is backed by the citizens. I intend to introduce a planned economy to reduce needless resource losses."

"Planned economy," said everyone, who was concerned and turned their attention to it.

"Yes, planned economy. Maybe you don't understand it very well. Let me make it simple."

"Let's take an example, such as the railroad. The plan is to build a thousand kilometers of railroads in five years to improve access to Bulgaria. There is not enough capital from the private sector, so the government will issue public bonds to build them."

"A thousand kilometers of railroad, built in Bulgaria in five years?" Minister of Transport Klinton asked, not daring to believe.

"That's right," said Ferdinand with a smile.

"Then I support it," said Klinton, taking a direct stand.

"This is just one of them. All major Bulgarian industries are involved." Ferdinand said confidently. When he saw the crowd's reaction, he knew the result.

"Okay, keep it quiet. We'll discuss it when I'm done!" Ferdinand waved a hand to signal something.

"This is my personal vision, you can read it." said Ferdinand, who handed a copy of the Bulgarian Five-Year Plan to the crowd.

Article 1, Focus on the agricultural sector: Invite agricultural experts and promote advanced agricultural production methods. Increase the total production of agricultural products by 30 percent within five years, and improve farmers' income.

Article 2, The railroad plan: Construct 1,000 kilometers of railroads throughout the country in five years to improve access conditions. The government issuing railroad bonds will meet the funds required.

Article 3, Military: 1. Establish a primary arsenal and localize the equipment of light weapons within five years. 2. Complete the restructuring of the national army within five years and implement a reserve system and mandatory military service. 3. Establish a national defense university.

Article 4, Industry: To encourage the development of heavy industries, and to consider the lack of resources in Bulgaria, and to support key industries such as iron and steel plants, machine chain factories, and military enterprises, are exempted from taxes. In equal conditions, priority is given to the use of domestic.

Article 5, Education: 1. Establish literacy classes in factories and rural areas, encourage young scholars to give classes to the people during holidays, with the content focused on the general law, and reduce the illiteracy rate to less than 15 percent within five years. 2. Establish a public university; given that this is a special period, we will open only science and technology at the time of registration. 3. Build three new pedagogical institutes to train teachers to lay the foundation for future mandatory education.

"The five articles above are the core of this five-year plan, which can also be called the Top Five Plan. If you have any ideas to add, you can also raise your opinions." Ferdinand said with a confident face.

"Your Highness, can I have it done? This is clearly against the laws of the market!" Mihail, the Minister of Economy, asked uneasily.

"Of course you can! Ignore that bullshit about the laws of the market! It's just rhetoric created by those who take money from capitalists, and it's all used to fool people! Be brave, you're all Bulgarian elites. You can definitely finish, maybe even exceed!" Ferdinand said encouragingly.

"Your Highness, how will the funds be settled? With Bulgaria's revenues, I'm afraid it will be difficult to complete?" asked Prime Minister Stambolov.

"The main expense is the railroad program. You can issue railroad bonds, and set the interest rate higher to attract private capital. If not, you can also go abroad to sell. In the future, the income from the operation of the railroad will be used to pay off the debt, at most the government will make up a little."

"Like the arsenal, I can invest in it so the government saves another expense."

"The funding gap for the latter is not much anymore. With Bulgaria's revenues, it should be barely completed, at most in issuing some education bonds. What else is the problem?" said Ferdinand crisply.

"Your Highness, why is there no goal for steel and coal? These are the things that are needed for the country to be powerful and become essential!" Mihail asked in confusion.

"Very simple, Bulgaria's coal reserves are too small. We can't defy the laws of nature to change out! And iron ore are in the Balkan Mountains. Before the railroad is built, all the raw materials for the building of steel plants have to be imported. It is better to import steel directly!" Ferdinand explained.

"If you have no questions, that is our decision. We will leave the details to you to perfect and then submit it to the National Assembly for approval!" Seeing that the crowd did not say anything more, Ferdinand announced the decision.

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