Save North Forest!
North Forest is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty that also includes a number of small towns and villages. Many local residents moved into the area after retiring and were attracted by the opportunity to breathe fresh air and be surrounded by beautiful views. In doing so, we have brought wealth into a local economy that was struggling because there was little employment to encourage younger people born in the area to stay.
Wodd plans to destroy North Forest in order to fuel a power station that will, in itself, spoil the view as well as polluting the atmosphere.
Globally, vast areas of forests are cleared every year for commercial exploitation. This creates untold risks for the planet because trees are responsible for giving us breathable air.
Local residents are working together with Green Marland, Marland's largest environmental campaigner, to draw attention to the damage that Wodd is threatening to inflict on this area.
We ask you to write to the Government planning department to ask it to refuse to issue a permit for this development. We also ask you to sign our online petition and to consider joining us in peaceful and non-violent direct action against the bulldozers in the event that our efforts to block the granting of a Government permit should fail.
Newsweb
Wodd and Darrell announce plans for restructuring
True to form, the ink was barely dry on the last contract before the corporate restructuring experts arrived to "counsel out" the staff who have become "surplus to requirements". Wodd and Darrell have still to agree on a new name for their merged entity, but they have already announced the need for "efficiency savings". The first redundancy notices have already been issued and many more are expected to follow over the next few weeks.
You have received the following email from Marcus Svenson, Finance Director:
From: Marcus Svenson, Finance Director
To: Senior Finance Manager
Subject: News reports
Hi,
I have sent you a link to a news site on the internet. Things are getting complicated in Bravador.
Every Board member has been asked to attend a brainstorming session this afternoon, before the CEO flies out to Bravador this evening. We will be considering the following four matters:
Is it acceptable for us to develop this forest, given the commitment that we have made with respect to indigenous peoples' rights? They have been quoted at the end of the news article.
Is it fair for the environmental protestors to complain that our operations are unsustainable?
Would it be unethical to offer to build a village, with a proper school and medical clinic, for the tribe and to offer them work in our forestry operations?
Is it really a good idea for the CEO to fly to Bravador just to appear on the television news in his boots and overalls?
Please email me your thoughts on each of these matters before I leave for the meeting this afternoon.
Marcus
Daily Gazette
Draft story for comment
The singer, the forester and the tax adviser
Popular singer Barry Crauder is regarded as one of our more financially-aware personalities. He works hard, releasing at least one new album every year and serving as a judge on a popular talent show. He has a reputation for investing this income wisely, choosing to save for his future rather than squandering on the trappings of the show business lifestyle.
Crauder's popularity was severely damaged when it emerged that he pays little or no tax on the investment income derived from his portfolio of investments. That is because he has used one of the few remaining tax loopholes, namely investment in forestry. He owns significant areas of forestry in the far North of Marland. We estimate his earnings from those investments to exceed M$800,000 every year and yet he has not paid a single Cent in tax on that income since he first invested in forestry ten years ago. In contrast, a typical fan who earns the national average wage of M$28,000 every year will pay approximately M$7,000 in tax.
So, could we all invest in forestry? Well, not unless we can afford it. I posed as a wealthy business entrepreneur and approached several leading tax advisers. Most were interested in helping me to invest a seven figure sum to avoid tax, but warned that saving tax could be expensive in terms of fees and commissions.
Four firms recommended forestry as the ideal investment. All recommended Wodd, with whom all four claimed to conduct "significant business". They said that a typical client would give Wodd a bank draft and leave the purchase and subsequent management to Wodd in return for a fee. Most clients had never even seen the forests that they own and none ever need to make a management decision concerning the growth or sale of timber.
Sadly, investing in forestry is a rich person's pursuit. I was warned that companies such as Wodd are unlikely to entertain a potential client whose initial investment does not run into the tens of millions of M$.
Please address any response to Sonia Jones, care of the Daily Gazette news desk, as quickly as possible.
You have received the following email from Marcus Svenson, Finance Director:
From: Marcus Svenson, Finance Director
To: Senior Finance Manager
Subject: Biomass proposal
Hi,
The Board has just heard a presentation by an engineering consultancy concerning a proposal to develop a biomass power station adjacent to our North Forest.
The Board has asked us to put together some thoughts about the merits of this proposal. We would proceed on the basis that we would build the power station and sell the resulting electricity to the national power generator which has a number of coal-fired power stations, each of which is nearing the end of its useful life and the coal has to be shipped in, so we should find it relatively easy to guarantee sales. The power generator has indicated that it would be possible to negotiate a three year contract in the first instance, with the expectation that this would be extended by subsequent three year contracts, subject to price and performance.
We would be responsible for building and operating the power plant and we would also have to pay for 50% of the cost of power lines for connecting to the national electricity grid, with the other 50% being funded by the national power generator.
Please draft a briefing paper that I can present to the Board on the following:
How can we predict whether the share price is likely to increase or decrease if we commit ourselves to this project? You should identify the challenges associated with answering that question and indicate how we might address them.
What are the long-term risks associated with future revenues from the sale of electricity? How might we manage these?
Marcus
Reference Material:
