National Financial Report, $74 Billion Spent on Security Sector | The Malaya Times

Johore Financial Report

*currencies are in Orbis Dollar (OBD)

1. Economic Overview:
  - Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $7.727 trillion
  - Inflation Rate: 1.6%
  - Unemployment Rate: 4.2%

2. Budget Overview (2098):
  - Total Revenue (2098): $5.127 trillion 
    - Direct Tax Revenue:
      - Income Tax: 8% / $445.0 billion
      - Corporate Tax: 8% / $439.8 billion
      - Other Direct Taxes: 6% / $334.7 billion
    - Indirect Tax Revenue:
      - Value-Added Tax (VAT) or Sales Tax: 23% / $1.280 trillion
      - Excise Taxes: 9% / $501.0 billion
      - Other Indirect Taxes: 11% / $611.9 billion
    - Non-Tax Revenue:
      - Petroleum Revenue: 4% / $223.0 billion
      - Non-Petroleum Revenue: 28% / $1.558 trillion
      - Grants and Aids: 3% / $166.9 billion
  - Total Expenditure (2098): $4.959 trillion
    - Salaries and wages: 23% / $1.141 trillion
    - Goods and services: 22% / $1.091 trillion
    - Scholarships and training: 6.65% / $329.8 billion
    - Pensions and gratuities: 2.8% / $138.9 billion
    - Other operational expenses: 18% / $892.6 billion
    - Economic sector: 9% / $446.3 billion
    - Social sector: 5.25% / $260.3 billion
    - Security sector: 2% / $99.18 billion
    - Other development projects: 4% / $198.4 billion
    - Debt servicing: 4% / $198.4 billion
    - Other fixed charges: 3.3% / $163.7 billion

3. Budget Forecast for 2099:
  - Projected Revenue: $5.563 trillion
  - Planned Expenditure: $5.332 trillion
    - Salaries and wages: 25% / $1.340 trillion
    - Goods and services: 21% / $1.120 trillion
    - Scholarships and training: 4.65% / $247.9 billion
    - Pensions and gratuities: 2.8% / $149.3 billion
    - Other operational expenses: 19.5% / $1.04 trillion
    - Economic sector: 7.5% / $400 billion
    - Social sector: 6.25% / $335 billion
    - Security sector: 3.5% / $186.5 billion
    - Other development projects: 2.5% / $130 billion
    - Debt servicing: 5% / $267 billion
    - Other fixed charges: 2.3% / $122.5 billion

4. Debt and Deficit:
  - Public Debt: $5.0 trillion
  - Budget Deficit/Surplus: +$230 billion (Surplus)

5. Trade Balance:
  - Exports: $127.5 billion
  - Imports: $150.6 billion
  - Trade Balance: -$23.1 billion (Deficit)

6. Foreign Reserves:
  - Total Foreign Reserves: $1.2 trillion

7. Social Indicators:
  - Literacy Rate: 99%
  - Life Expectancy: 83 years
  - Infant Mortality Rate: 1.8 per 1,000 live births
  - Poverty Rate: 8.2%

8. Environmental Impact:
  - Renewable Energy Consumption: 10%
  - Forest Cover: 36.4%

9. Government Initiatives:
- Infrastructure Development Projects: Improvement of entry and exit routes at the country's borders, development of towns and small villages to upgrade them to cities, reaching a population of 25,000 residents.
- Social Welfare Programs: Establishment of a baitulmal system regardless of race, free homes for the destitute, low-cost housing and affordable prices, education assistance in the form of school and college aid, as well as scholarships.
- Environmental Conservation Efforts: Transitioning to cleaner energy sources such as solar and wind power, as well as utilizing waste and waste materials for more cost-effective energy production.

10. International Trade:
  - Top Export Partners: -
  - Top Import Partners: -
  - Trade Agreements: Republic of China, Kingdom of Threse, La Plata, Prussia, Vesla, Transvaal Republiek (Oil Exports)

11. Financial Market Performance:
  - Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): $100 billion
  - Exchange Rate: 1.0 OBD = 8.9 JHD

12. Future Outlook:
  - Forecasted Economic Growth: 3.0%

$74 Billion OBD Allocated for New Military Assets

 Johore has allocated nearly half of the $180 billion OBD allocation for the security sector. This year, approximately $180 billion OBD has been allocated to the sector, with $70.8 billion for maintenance and other costs. Over the course of 6 months in 2099, a total of $74.0 billion OBD has been spent to enhance the quality of Johore military assets. $25.2 billion has been allocated for the purchase of 6 frigates and 7 destroyers from Areulia. Additionally, $3.5 billion OBD has been spent on the purchase of 25 attack helicopters and 5 frigates from Transvaal Republic.

Most recently, the largest purchase ever made by the Johore Royal Military Council (JRMC) was from the Sedrosian Empire, totaling $45.3 billion OBD. This purchase includes 400 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, 100 transport helicopters, 8 corvettes, 10 destroyers, 8 frigates, 7 attack submarines, 5 heavy and 20 regular bombers, and finally 2000 units of missiles of various types.

It is said that for the time being, the government, along with JRMC, will defer plans to produce domestic military assets for the national armed forces until the following year, 2100. Purchases from foreign countries for now are the best step to alleviate pressure on the country's military industry. Currently, the country can only produce one version of the main battle tank since 2094.

Country's Export Figures Alarmingly Low

The Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Trade are urging the government to reassure foreign countries to import goods from Johore. Johore produces 700k barrels of oil per day, with 250k of it being purchased by Transvaal Republiek every day. Among other goods that have not received export demand are black pepper, rice, tea, timber, construction materials such as bricks, cement, and iron rods, coffee, durian, spices, palm oil, charcoal, petroleum gas, copper ores, stainless steel, and natural rubber.

According to spokespersons from these ministries, the country faces problems if it continues to fail in attracting foreign countries to the country's ability to produce and distribute these products to Orbis. If this situation persists, the country's economy is expected to grow by only around 3% annually, but it could double to 5% if the country's exports are increased.

One of the government's efforts that can be seen currently is signing several trade agreements with several countries, namely the Republic of China, Prussia, Transvaal Republiek, La Plata, Kingdom of Threse, and Vesla, to increase the volume of exports and imports between countries, thus boosting economic activity.

More Direct Investments Needed for Economic Growth

The government encourages direct investment from foreign countries into Johore through upcoming projects. Among them are the East India-Malaya Highway (not yet proposed to East-India), large-scale housing projects, the mega project of Johore's new capital city, Bandar Mahmudiyyah, land reclamation projects around Singapore/Temasek Island, land reclamation projects in the Strait of Malacca, the MICRA high-speed railway project (Malaya-India-China High Speed Railways), the transition project towards cleaner energy, and several other projects still under discussion.

Direct investment is highly welcomed as it reduces economic pressure within the country, while helping to drive economic development by reducing the risk of financial issues within the country. Among the projects receiving attention is land reclamation in the Strait of Malacca, where the focus area is coastal areas that do not have mangrove habitats like in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka. It cannot be denied that land reclamation can extend far beyond 1 km from the original coast.

Other News

- The National Car of the Country, HADANA, has the potential to expand its market overseas.

- Three individuals narrowly escaped being crushed by an overturned trailer in Bukit Tinggi.

- The temperature is expected to remain low at around 25 degrees Celsius, with a very low chance of snow due to the country's equatorial location.

- Suggestions are open to the public for proposals on development projects that should be undertaken by the government.

- Spending on the security sector for the purchase of new assets can still be done, with a budget of around $40 billion remaining.

- Colonial monuments removed from public spaces have been decided to be preserved in museums according to their locations.

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