Addressed to: President Iseri Norio
From: Stas Petrov Minister for Trade, Economy and Finance
Please allow me to begin by thanking you for your interest to invest in Samantra. As minister for trade, economy and finance my first concern is to foster a climate where business can be conducted in a manner that is as little affected as possible by non-financial aspects.
The Samantran government is pleased that the Rokkenjiman government has decide to remove restrictions on Rokkenjiman companies to invest in the Holy Kingdom. We believe it is a decision that is in the interest of both countries.
Abstergo is a conglomerate whose size and connections to the Rokkenjiman government creates concerns for us. We have large companies in the Holy Kingdom but none in the range of 900 billion roubles/USD. And to my understanding that is just one branch or division of your huge conglomerate. That level of success if of course something to admire and aspire to but it is also reason of concern that competition would be harmed by the sheer size of the company and presumed advantage of having the Royal Family of Rokkenjima as a major shareholder. Samantran laws on the matter are very strict and safeguard that business interests remain subservient to the Samantran public and its government. Therefore having such a massive corporation entering our market, it having access to sensible data (financial transactions etc) and its obvious connections to the Anselmo Royal Family is something we would rather avoid. The Samantran laws as they stand cannot stop you from entering the market and our government will not deny your company access for national security concerns because we do not wish to jeopardize the efforts made by both Her Highness Princess Kyōko and Holy Kingdom to mend relations. That being said, we strongly recommend that to find a local partner in Samantra for a joint venture or joint ownership with a specific agreement for sensitive data to be stored in Samantra. I remain available and willing to provide such partners should you so desire.
For the establishment of an assembly line to produce Abstergo electronics we have no concerns and can even recommend a great site for investment - the port city of Lirom which will provide you great access to the Karifan Ocean, a skilled work force and a local government that is fully committed to a pro-business agenda. The city has an industrial park which still has room for further facilities. Companies that open manufacturing facilities in the industrial park have the following facilities: no property tax and licensing fees for any needed permits. The law states that these facilities have to be given for a minimum of ten years afterward it is for the local government to decide whether to extend them or not. Furthermore, companies in Samantra pay a flat tax on profits of 16% but are able to deduct any losses they incur at the end of the fiscal from the profits of the next seven years. Any reinvested profit is not taxed. The city already has seen investment by Lodja via Samantra Electronic Manufacture which produces chips, processing units, semiconductors, circuits and processors. That allows you to use them as a supplier as they would be based in the same city. Of course, the decision is yours to make according to your needs.
Please note that Samantra has a strong trade union culture and as such, employees at the manufacturing facility will likely unionize. While negotiations will not involve the Samantran government you will most likely have to provide the following benefits to employees: lump sum bonuses for Christmas and Easter, 5 days paid vacation days for events like: marriage, death of a close relative, the equivalent one month’s average wage for such events as well as a minimum wage for the company employees. That is above what the national laws require. Furthermore, you might perhaps be aware that Samantra has signed and will soon ratify the Abrahamic Declaration of Rights. While in Samantra we respect the opinion of companies including foreign owned ones about Samantra’s laws protecting and preserving the moral fabric of society, we expect them to express them only when asked by the government.
Please let me know of your decision or if you need further information.
Respectfully yours,
Stas PetrovMinister for Trade, Economy and Finance