Zhao Jun was very satisfied with everyone's attitude when he saw that everyone was speaking up and expressing their opinions.
I am not afraid of businessmen making money from business, but I am afraid that they will lose their most basic conscience in order to make money. They say that they are not interested in money, but in fact they can do anything to make money.
This is the case with many Western capitalists.
Because many Western capitals actually don’t care about the country at all. Under the wave of globalization, their national consciousness has become very indifferent. They feel that as long as they have money, they can go anywhere.
Therefore, we often see in later generations that once a country encounters some turmoil, a large amount of domestic capital will flee abroad, causing economic collapse.
In fact, whether scientists or businessmen, they should uphold the spirit of "Science and economics have no national boundaries, but the scientific community and business must have a country." If they don't even love their own country, how can we expect them to love the world?
"The country needs a capable and responsible government, but it also needs many responsible and accountable people. Merchants, scholars, peddlers, and peddlers, as long as they unite, their strength will be greater than anything else."
Zhao Jun said to the crowd, "So, our Great Song will support a group of patriotic merchants and provide them with special treatment. For example, they can enjoy certain tax exemptions, the right to directly obtain various monopoly goods, and various conveniences while traveling on the road. But at the same time, they must also bear certain responsibilities."
"What responsibility?"
Someone asked subconsciously, and then felt a little frightened after asking, realizing that they might have been rash.
But Zhao Jun didn't blame them. Instead, he smiled and said, "This responsibility is to support the country in times of crisis. For example, even if there are no more monopolies or imports into China, you must still deliver a certain amount of grain to the border every year, even more than others, to prove your patriotism."
This is quite straightforward. Simply put, the state can support the growth of your business, but you must also shoulder your responsibilities. In addition to safeguarding business operations and alleviating social tensions, you must also contribute manpower and resources to the country and share the burden of the war effort.
While it's boring to be too specific, it's unrealistic to expect everyone to be so aware of this situation in ancient times. Therefore, it's better to be clear about some things upfront and make them mandatory.
"That's natural."
"In the future, whenever the Constitutional Yuan issues a decree, we will do our utmost to implement it."
"From now on, if you want to transport grain to China, we will never refuse."
Everyone had already made a promise just now, so they naturally agreed one by one this time, and said that there was no problem at all.
"Well, now that we've discussed everyone's responsibilities, let's talk about the content of this reform."
Zhao Jun took a sip of tea and continued, "I believe you have guessed that this time the government's monopoly reform is to transfer part of the monopoly channels, tea and salt farm operations, processing workshops, government-run shops, etc. to you."
Everyone's breathing quickened as they listened.
To put it nicely, this reform is called public-private partnership and state-owned asset restructuring. To put it bluntly, it is actually the sale of state-owned assets.
In the Song Dynasty, the "Quemai" was actually a state-run enterprise, but it was not separated from the government. From sales channels to production sites and processing, everything was handled by the government. The people who handled it were not employees of state-owned enterprises, but real officials with ranks.
Therefore, compared with the business atmosphere, the atmosphere in the officialdom is more intense. In this situation, corruption is bound to be rampant. These officials are running their own small businesses and are in charge of the country's big business. It would be strange if they are not greedy.
Zhao Jun must consider restructuring state-owned enterprises, learning from advanced experiences of later generations, introducing private enterprises, and encouraging the development of private enterprises to better promote the business environment.
"After the transfer, you no longer have to worry about being suppressed by the government or having your supply chains blocked. Furthermore, aside from the government holding a certain percentage of the business shares, all other matters, big or small, will be left to you to handle. The management rights will be in your hands, and you will be responsible for your own profits and losses."
Zhao Jun said, "But you should also understand that compared to private businesses, the government-sold sites, assets, shops, and authority are much greater than you might imagine. If you want to take over, your capital alone is clearly not enough."
"Then how do we take over?"
"That's a good question. I'm going to divide this part of the assets and auction it off. You can only get a maximum of 60% of the 100% equity. As for whether you're going to bid together or just one person, that's another matter."
"If it involves official affairs, what should we do if local officials or inspectors along the canal route raise questions?"
Someone asked boldly.
“Someone will naturally help you solve this problem.”
Zhao Jun smiled and said, "After the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is established, the "shop book" will no longer be handled by the government, but by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and local industrial and commercial bureaus to register and establish a business license."
"Industrial and Commercial Bureau?"
Everyone looked at each other. They had actually heard of this department.
It is the newest department established in Bianliang, but this department has only just been implemented, and the outside world still does not know what it is responsible for and what it does.
"Yes."
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "This department will be responsible for all future businesses, including taxation, operations, inspections, supervision, and so on. From now on, from small shops to large merchants, they will need permission from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce. If you are collaborating with government-run businesses, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce will send someone to take over. Firstly, they will handle the accounting and secondly, they will help you resolve any problems you may have with the government."
In ancient times, there were business licenses. Starting from the Han Dynasty, merchants had to obtain permission from the government to engage in commercial activities. Before the Song Dynasty, merchants had to choose a store and could not change it, and then they had to inspect the goods regularly. After the Song Dynasty, restrictions were relaxed, which promoted the prosperity of business.
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