Mediterranean Hegemony Road

The loan negotiation between Bulgaria and Russia began quietly and silently, and Bulgaria's ten-year plan to invest in the largest transportation industry was also put on the agenda.

Rolex Dodd said cautiously: Today, the core item of the conference - transportation, including railways and highways, is expected to have a total investment of 60 billion levs.

The first, the Baghdad railway resumes construction and extends it to the Persian Gulf region, with an estimated total investment of 1.85 billion levs;

Article 2. To build a railway from the Asia Minor Peninsula to Jerusalem, ordered to be the Holy City Railway, with an estimated total investment of 2.86 billion levs;

Article 3. To build a railway around the Arabian Peninsula, complete the docking with the Baghdad railway through Iraq, and complete the docking with the Quds Railway through Jordan, with an estimated total investment of 9.84 billion levs;

Article 4. The construction of branch lines along the Baghdad Railway and the Al-Quds Railway, totaling 72, with an estimated total investment of 4.56 billion levs;

The specific branch lines include the St. French Railway, the Tama Railway, the Sunday Siqi Railway...

Article 5. To build a railway around the southwestern part of the Balkan Peninsula to connect our local border line, with an estimated total investment of 2.84 billion levs;

Article 6. In order to strengthen the control over the colonies, the Ministry of Communications has decided to build thirteen railways in the African colonies, with an estimated total investment of 1.86 billion levs;

Including: Nigerian Railway, Libyan Railway, Namibia Railway, Kenya Railway

...

Article 36. Within ten years, the Ministry of Communications plans to implement high-speed highways covering counties, third-class highways covering townships, and fourth-class highways connecting 80% of the local villages. The total investment is expected to be 180%. 1.97 billion levs; (the source of funds is not limited)

Article 37. The Asia Minor Peninsula Highway Plan,

The Ministry of Communications plans to invest 7.86 billion levs to build highways between major cities on the Asia Minor peninsula;

Article 37. Special area highway plans, including important ports, industrial bases, industrial raw material production areas, and important military areas, the Ministry of Communications plans to invest 9.68 billion levs to implement railway and road coverage plans for these areas; ( domestic funds only)

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After reading it, Rolex Dodd joked: I finally finished reading, and I can breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at the numbers above, I thought it was an extra zero, and I was so scared that I looked three times to make sure there was no mistake. After that, I dare to read it!

Sure enough, the Bulgarian people's humor cells are not very good, and the atmosphere is activated, but no one laughs out loud. It seems that many people are still immersed in the number of 60 billion.

Rolex Dodd did not continue to talk nonsense, and said directly: Members who have doubts now, please raise your hand!

As soon as his voice fell, he raised his hands in unison. At a glance, almost 90% of the members raised their hands. It seems that there are not a few people who have doubts.

Rolex Dodd still said calmly: Okay, please ask the gentleman in the middle of the first row!

The man named stood up and said angrily, Mr. Beshear, please tell me the value of building a railway around the Arabian Peninsula. With all due respect, although the Arabian Peninsula is vast, it is nothing but sand!

We invest a lot of money in it, where is the return? Just the few nomadic peoples on the island can provide us with 300,000 cattle and 1 million sheep every year at most. We must exchange food for this. This investment will not be recovered for 10,000 years!

Behir-Ivanov replied calmly: First, let me correct one point. The Arabian Peninsula is not just sand. In terms of strength, deserts only occupy one-third of the peninsula. Although most of the remaining land is wasteland and mountains , but not completely without economic value!

In addition to economic value, we must also consider military value. The Persian Gulf is the most important port for us to enter the Indian Ocean, and it will be the largest military base of our navy in the future!

The oil exploration work in Iraq has now begun to prepare, and the transportation must also be based on the port of the Persian Gulf. In the future, the main source of oil for Bulgaria will be the Persian Gulf region.

To protect our overseas colonies, the navy is going out of the Persian Gulf much faster than out of the Mediterranean.

Maybe you don't know yet, our overseas colonies, as a whole, have been able to achieve a balance of payments, and it won't be long before they will be able to denial domestically!

And there are mineral resources we need in the colony. Once they are released, it will completely change the status quo of our lack of mineral resources!

For the sake of strategic security, we have to strengthen the control over the Arabian Peninsula, so the roundabout railway of the Arabian Peninsula is a must!

Everyone fell into silence, as if calculating whether it was worth it.

That's right, after the deal with the British, the Bulgarian colonies are not at a loss. The newly added relatively wealthy colonies are still profitable every year, and the colonies in Africa have finally achieved breakeven.

Of course, the Asia Minor Peninsula, Iraq, the Middle East, and the Arabian Peninsula are not included in the calculation. These areas are construction areas, otherwise they will still be in a state of loss.

Seemingly aware of this, Besir-Ivanov added again: This century is the age of the sea. If Bulgaria does not want to stay in the Mediterranean forever, then it is inevitable to go to the ocean, and the Persian Gulf strategy is what we have taken. first step!

Marine Strategy! This reason is undoubtedly more convincing than the least reason. It can be said that ambitious countries all over the world are striving for it!

There are successes and there are failures! The British Empire is the most successful one, and everyone is scrambling to follow suit.

After more than a century of hard work, the Russians managed to get out of the Baltic Sea, but a civil war broke out and they failed.

The Germans are even worse. The world's No. 1 military power with 6 armies dominates Central Europe. As a result, when they marched towards the ocean, they were blocked by the British and fell into the sand!

The Americans' ambitious marine plan was about to succeed just after it was launched. As a result, it ushered in the American Flu, which was besieged by the whole world and led to division.

Now it's Bulgaria's turn, what should the maritime strategy do? It is definitely impossible to fight with open flames like the Germans and Americans.

From the suppression of the expansion of the navy, they knew that the government did not intend to stand up to challenge the hegemony of the British Empire. This made everyone breathe a sigh of relief, but at the same time, it was also a pity!

Rolex Dodd's voice resounded in everyone's ears again: The third row, the tenth gentleman on the left, please speak!

The old man stood up and asked, Excuse me, Mr. Beshear, what is the government's maritime strategy? Is it convenient to disclose?

Behir-Ivanov thought for a while and said: This is not a secret. The maritime strategy formulated by the Bulgarian government is mainly economic, and it has no plans to participate in the race for world dominance, nor do we have the Strength!

The old man continued with satisfaction. This answer is very reassuring. With Bulgaria's current strength, as long as it does not challenge the British Empire's world hegemony, it is appropriate to be a regional hegemon!

Rolex Dodd spoke again: Rise your hands now, MPs in doubt!

The second row, the first gentleman on the right, please ask questions!

The man said directly: Excuse me, Mr. Beshear, is it necessary for us to build railways in the African colonies? Of course I am not talking about all the railways here, but the economy in some areas is really bad, I can't see the construction. Where is the value of the railway!

If it is to maintain the rule, those rotten places should not be peeped by the foreign powers! As for the natives, I don't think they can threaten our rule!

Beshir-Ivanov said with a smile: The problem is simple, those areas have no value now, and when the railway is built, it will be valuable.

You should also have noticed that our investment in African colonies is not large, the main purpose is to improve the transportation in some areas and facilitate us to develop local mineral resources.

No matter how bad it is, you can open several plantations in the local area, which will be profitable in the long run. These investments can be recovered within five to ten years after the completion of the railway!

Although he didn't say it, everyone knows that the biggest cost of building a railway is manpower. With cheap labor available, the cost of building a railway in Africa is much lower than in mainland China.

The same is true for the mining and plantation in the back. Using local cheap labor to reduce production costs, even if the freight is higher, it is still profitable!

Rolex Dodd's voice broke the silence: The first row, the gentleman on the far right, please ask questions!

The man asked suspiciously: Mr. Beshear, our Ministry of Communications has invested so much this time, have you considered our financial affordability?

60 billion leva, even if it is divided into ten years, it is 6 billion leva each year, which has almost spent our entire year's finances!

Behir-Ivanov said calmly: It's not almost, our fiscal revenue this year is less than 6 billion levs? It may be able to break through next year!

If all the investment from the government is in line, we can all declare bankruptcy. After all, in addition to the Ministry of Communications, there are other departments that are asking for money.

We all know that our Bulgarian railway company has already achieved profits, although it is only four or five billion every year, this is also a reward!

This time, the railway will still be mainly invested by the government, while the highway will be mainly private capital. At that time, we will invite bids to the world and hand over our domestic roads to the capitalists for construction.

At present, the profit channel designed by the government for them is to build gas stations and grocery stores on both sides of the road, and the government is responsible for helping them acquire land.

Of course, this is just an idea, and what the final result will be remains to be discussed. We are not sure whether the capitalists can accept this new cooperation model, nor do we rule out the possibility of setting up toll booths on highways!

In this way, the total investment of the light railway plan is 25.8 billion levs, and the government’s financial allocation of 5 billion levs is almost the same. The railway company can provide more than 5 billion levs by itself, and the remaining 15 The railway company used these railways to borrow money from domestic banks for the construction of more than one billion leva!

Fortunately, it is a loan from a domestic bank. If the right of way is mortgaged to a foreign bank, it is estimated that many people will jump out.

The man asked in surprise: Mr. Beshear, can you make a profit just by relying on the gas station? You must know that all the motor vehicles in our country add up to two or three million, and the car is less than one million. If you have to rely on this to recover the cost, why won't the oil bill rise to the sky?

Beshil-Ivanov explained: The data you mentioned is not accurate, it is the data of last year, the increase of motor vehicles in our country is 38.6%, and the increase of cars is 38.6%. Twenty-five four!

Although it is impossible to maintain such a high growth rate all the time, it is not a problem for the total number of motor vehicles in the country to exceed 10 million within ten years.

According to the average annual fuel fee of 1,000 levs per vehicle, their revenue is 10 billion levs, and of course, the maintenance costs of the later roads are also included.

This figure should be able to break even. If the capitalists want to make a profit, they may have to wait a little longer. When we achieve that every household has a car one day in the future, they will make a profit. This is a long-term investment. Throw in!

If the capitalists can't accept it, we will also consider letting them charge motor vehicle tolls on the highway to shorten their profit time!

Like most people, Beshear Ivanov is not sure whether the capitalists can make a profit by relying on the gas station alone. After all, it is impossible for the oil price to rise indefinitely, and the price will be too high to dissuade everyone from buying a car. Positivity belongs to killing the chicken and getting the egg!

Bulgaria has a limited population. In their opinion, 10 million motor vehicles in the country have almost reached the limit. Under this number, it may be no problem to achieve profitability, but it is definitely not that easy to make money.

Therefore, this business is destined to be done only by Ferdinand, the future oil tycoon. Even if the profit of the gas station is not enough to make a profit, the oil company makes money, so it should be an early investment to cultivate the market.

Everyone fell into contemplation, and suddenly someone raised their hand again. Rolex Dodd said without nonsense, The fourth row, the second gentleman from the left, please ask a question!

The man said embarrassedly: Mr. Beshear, is there a time limit for this?

Behir-Ivanov asked suspiciously: Are you asking about the gas station or the toll station? If it is a gas station, I think there should be no time limit. After all, in addition to building highways, capitalists are also responsible for connecting the villages. Highway, the investment here is too big, and we don't know how long it will take for them to make a return!

If it is a highway toll station, there should be a time limit, and it does not undertake the construction of ordinary highways. The investment in building highways is not so large, and it is easier to make profits!

This is also something that can't be helped. If you only build high-speed highways and keep ordinary highways, people can refuel and go to high-speed roads. If you don't monopolize the gas stations in the country, don't think about making money!

This is not only for the government to bundle business to the capitalists, but for profit, they must do it!

The man continued to ask: Then Mr. Beshear, what about agricultural vehicles? Ordinary family cars can be used by rich people. Even if the oil price rises two or three times, they can afford it, but our What about agricultural vehicles and transport vehicles?

Ordinary people can't afford this expense, which will hit our mechanized agriculture now!

Behir-Ivanov replied calmly: This problem does exist, but your guess is probably not going to happen!

The first capitalists are not stupid, it is impossible to set a high price that most people cannot afford, so they will not be able to sell their oil;

Second, there is the Price Bureau. The government will not sit back and watch oil prices skyrocket. For example, once raw oil prices skyrocket, the government will issue regulations to limit the price of oil used for agricultural machinery and transportation vehicles.

What capitalists can completely control is the oil price of private cars, which is a luxury. You have just said that even if the oil price rises two or three times, they can accept it!

Well, in this era, everyone's cars are still standard for the rich, at least only the middle class can afford them, and there is no need for everyone to consider oil prices for them.

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