Chapter 292: Advanced Tax Package System
To develop the Matabele Plateau (Zimbabwe), the East African government held a meeting to discuss strategies. Key participants included Konstantin and Ernst, who made the final decisions.
Von der Leyen proposed initiating economic development by utilizing the indigenous population in the Matabele Plateau, focusing on resource exploitation. However, due to its distance from East Africa and the presence of Zambia in between, transportation was a challenge. She suggested negotiating with Mozambique to open up a sea route for transportation.
Yarman expressed doubts about Mozambique's willingness to cooperate due to security concerns.
Switt proposed solving the communication problem by extending the telegraph line from Zambia to the Matabele Plateau, ensuring rapid decision-making and efficient management.
Konstantin suggested mobilizing indigenous people to develop agriculture initially, focusing on high-yield crops like potatoes and cassava. Later, immigrants could be given developed land. He also emphasized the importance of building the telegraph line to the Matabele Plateau after completing the main line in Zambia.
Sweet stressed the need to level the roads in the Matabele Plateau and Zambia and construct bridges, especially over the Zambezi River and its tributaries, to facilitate transportation.
Von der Leyen suggested organizing indigenous people to cultivate the land and plant crops while simultaneously working on transportation infrastructure. This approach would help maintain food supplies and provide a source of labor when needed.
Felix proposed controlling indigenous populations both through military force and economic incentives. By improving the quality of life for certain tribes through industrial products, they could create dependency on East African goods. East Africa would exchange industrial products for grain, which would be used to invest in transportation infrastructure, closing the loop and increasing management efficiency.
East Africa collected taxes from indigenous people in a manner similar to the Ottoman tax package system. Indigenous regimes and tribes that accepted East African rule were allowed to continue governing and received a share of the taxes. East Africa ensured the interests of the indigenous ruling class, reducing local resistance.
This tax subsidy system aimed to temporarily support indigenous regimes and tribes, allowing East Africa to focus on development. However, East Africa was prepared for future changes, knowing that when immigrants arrived in large numbers, it would be time to manage and control the local population more assertively.
Felix's strategy involved using industrial products to improve the lives of higher-level indigenous tribes, making them dependent on East African goods. The surplus resources obtained from slave owners and chiefs would be invested in infrastructure development during the slack season, and indigenous people would have to accept employment in East Africa to sustain themselves.
This system aimed to reduce resistance among indigenous populations, complete infrastructure projects, and lower the cost of garrisoning troops. Ultimately, when the immigrant population grew, East Africa could transition to more assertive control, confiscating the developed land and resources from the indigenous population.
The tax subsidy system satisfied the indigenous slave class, reduced resistance, increased the benefits for slave owners, and enhanced overall stability in East African rule.
(Note: This is the end of this chapter.)