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Article 12.1 Business and
industry in trusteeship of society
Business and
industry shall function in trusteeship of society (1) producing
goods and services useful to society, (2) generating productive
employment opportunities, (3) using environmental resources in a
sustainable manner, (4) recycling waste to the extent possible,
and (6) refraining from exploiting labour or the environment.
They will deploy surpluses generated for productive investment
and social services, and not in wasteful consumption.
Such discipline
shall be largely nurtured through local accountability of
industry combined with self-regulation through a network of
associations and federations recognised under law. Land for
industry shall be on lease from village or district governments
that will enforce business and industrial practices responsible
to society.
Article 12.2 Minimum
movement of men and materials
Globalisation is
now being regarded as a major step in the progress of society in
realising its full potential through exchange of skills and
markets. Globalisation is actually an inefficient market
mechanism of locating units in places where labour is cheap and
moving products were prices are high. It fosters large-scale
movement of men and materials thereby increasing consumption of
fuel.
The objective of global society should be to work towards a
just, egalitarian world order in which incomes in all nations
are comparable and, as such, there is incentive to produce and
consume in the same place, avoiding needless movement of men and
materials. While this may not be easy, it should form an
important element in global strategies to minimise damage
through avoidable globalisation. Information and such other
technologies can play a significant role in realising such a
world order.
Article 12.3
Protection of consumer interests
All deposits taken
by businesses from consumers for products such as real estate
shall be protected in escrow accounts and their utilisation
monitored by banks on behalf of consumers. The National Bank
shall make appropriate regulations in regard to notification of
disclosure of title, approvals, etc, before inviting such
deposits, release from escrow accounts on verification of the
project by banks, providing periodic progress reports to
consumers, and the bank charge for such services.
Note: Absence of such regulations has, during the past fifty
years, led to numerous land scams, illegal colonies and
unauthorised construction. Both the political and land mafia are
not interested in such regulation. Referendum has thus become a
legal and moral necessity to promulgate such laws.
Article 12.4
Obligation of business to support trusts with social objectives
Following
development of new technologies such as information technology,
and evolution of the global market, share markets have virtually
become casinos where fortunes are made or liquidated overnight.
Return on such investments through creative inputs is
undoubtedly desirable but it is also necessary that the
underprivileged also directly benefit from it. It is true that
additional public funds are generated through taxation such as
income and excise taxes, but the state often manages them
inefficiently. To benefit from tax breaks, industrialist set up
public trusts many of which are providing commendable service to
society in fields such as education and healthcare. Such
philanthropy needs to be expanded and citizens who earn huge
profits through investment in shares also made to participate in
it.
First, every profit making business and industrial unit shall be
required under law to donate to a public trust with social
objectives such as education and healthcare a specified
percentage of the profits. Such trusts shall be monitored by
independent trust commissions. Trusts promoted by the business
itself can be preferred, as it will ensure better utilisation of
the funds.
Another requirement shall be that every time the value of the
shares of any company increases in the stock market by an amount
equal to the face value, it shall be mandatory for the company
to issue bonus shares equivalent to 20 per cent of the
subscribed share capital in the name of any public trust with
social objectives recognised by a trust commission. A trust
promoted by the company itself will be given preference.
A problem that democracy has not been able to resolve is as to
how equal opportunity can be provided to the children of the
poor to express their full potential. State interventions have
often proved inadequate, impersonal and inefficient. Public
trusts such as those described above shall pick up brilliant
students from poor families and, in a personalised manner, offer
them opportunity for full expression in fields such as arts,
sciences and sports.The society needs to innovate and evolve
other such concepts for the under previllaged to promote a value
enriched egalitarian society.
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Types
of Economic Systems |
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Western Capitalism
Controls
democracy, and resources of other cultures to sustain high
income and consumption
patterns. |
Post Colonial
Socialism
Creates
wasteful overheads, destroys all initiatives of the people |
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Chinese
Neo Fascism & Dictatorships
Exploit
the people.
Threat to global peace. |
Value
Enriched Egalitarian
Equal
social, economic and political
rights and opportunities
through grassroots empowerment. |
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