Ministry of Commerce (Urcea)
 | This article is a work-in-progress because it is incomplete and pending further input from an author. Note: The contents of this article are not considered canonical and may be inaccurate. Please comment on this article's talk page to share your input, comments and questions. |
 Seal of the Ministry of Commerce | |
| File:GP.PNG | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Guilder Palace |
| Annual budget | $1.4 trillion (FY 2018) |
| Agency executives |
|
| Website | commerce.urc |
The Ministry of Commerce, formally titled His Most Christian Majesty's Ministry of Commerce, is the Purpháidhe Ministry that advises the Government of Urcea and leads the nation in transportation, labor and trade policy issues. It is one of the primary regulators and oversight bodies of the Urcean economy. The Minister of Commerce, rather than the Minister of State, manages Urcea's relationship with the Levantine Union due to the importance of trade and the common market created by the Levantine Union.
Office for Trade Development
The Office for Trade Development and Excise Dues and its managing Commissioner are responsible for Urcea's global trade relationships as well as the day to day oversight of Urcean trade. The Commissioner also oversees the Superintendent for Levantine Affairs, which is the government office directly responsible for interaction with the Levantine Union on a day-to-day level. Until 2016 and the creation of the Ministry of National Security, this Office was known as the Office for Trade Development and Excise Dues and oversaw the collection of tariffs, but those responsibilities became part of the new Office for Travel and Excise Dues.
Agency for Trade Relations
The Agency for Trade Relations is responsible for identifying potential trade partners, formulating trade policy proposals, and managing current trade agreements, including ensuring that they are fair and functioning properly. The Superintendent for Trade Relations works very closely with the Ministry of State, and especially with the Commissioner for Foreign Policymaking during the course of crafting proposals. The Agency for Trade Relations is responsible for presenting trade agreements to the Gildertach for approval.
Agency for Levantine Affairs
The Agency for Levantine Affairs serves as the liaison between the Government of Urcea and the Levantine Union, especially in regards to any issues arising from the common market or Talerzone.
Agency for Cronan Economic Development
The Agency for Cronan Economic Development (known popularly as ACED) is responsible for creating and implementing a policy of economic development in Crona and particularly within NSTA members, intended to strengthen the economic institutions of NSTA member nations. It was created alongside the Department of Institutional and National Development (DNID) by the Concilium Daoni's "Commonwealth Investment Act of 2024", which was passed in the wake of the end of the Final War of the Deluge. The two bodies are close collaborators and work together to solve specific problems or challenges within Cronan nations with the specific intent of the Act stating the role of both agencies to provide the holistic economic and political independence envisioned by the Act. In addition to serving as economic advisors to developing nations, it also collaborates with the Royal Bank of Urcea to obtain interest-free loans to the states of NSTA. ACED also works with the Royal Bank to provide a microcredit program to the residents of the member states of NSTA and also residents of Varshan. The Agency is also responsible for ensuring the lessening of trade and customs barriers between NSTA members by providing analysis and specific policy advice.
Office for Guild and Workforce Affairs
The Office for Guild and Workforce Affairs is responsible for the relationships between the Government of Urcea and the guilds. It is also responsible for workforce development initiatives, and works with the Ministry of Administration of the Realm to coordinate unemployment and job placement programs, while working with the Collegium Scientificum to develop job training programs as well as connections from schools to employers.
Agency for Guild Membership
The Agency for Guild Membership is responsible for ensuring that all businesses are part of their respective guild. Upon the formation of a firm or business, it conducts an investigation of the type of services the firm renders and then assigns it to membership within a specific guild based on the industries defined under the guild law. In the event that a firm can be categorized within two or more different industrial sectors according to the guild law, the Agency will give the firm discretion to choose which guild to join, provided that the Agency does not discern that doing so would irreparably harm the guild of choice.
Agency for Guild Enforcement and Mediation
The Agency for Guild Enforcement and Mediation is responsible for enforcing the binding decisions of guilds on its members when the guild's internal efforts to do so have failed. These enforcements typically take the form of non-compliant firms or sections of workers still striking despite an internal guild decision ending such incidents. The Agency works with the Ministry of Justice to issue requests for compliance, and failures to comply are referred for judicial action by the Agency. The Agency is also responsible for mediating disputes between separate guilds. In the event of a potential strike or work shutdown, when disputes within guilds led to more than thirty days of gridlock, the Agency has the automatic ability to implement a temporary arbitrated settlement which lasts for 90 days. This ability, rarely used, is intended to prevent strikes or protracted gridlock between capital and labor.
Agency for Economic Access
The Agency for Economic Access is responsible for ensuring guilds do not put undue pressure on new entrants to the market. It specifically monitors guild activities and decision-making to proactively protect against discrimination against new firms by internal guild policies, both in the general sense but also in the case of specific new firms.
Agency for Workforce Development
Office for the Royal Infrastructure Programs
Until budget cuts and the "Redundancy Elimination Act of 1985", a separate Ministry of Transportation managed the nation's transportation infrastructure.
Agency for Royal Airports
Agency for the National Interprovincial Highway Service
Agency for the National Interprovincial Railway Service
Department for Rail Industry Oversight
Department for Rail Maintenance and Repair
Agency for Provincial Infrastructure Development
Office for Equitable Economic Activity
Agency for Consumer Affairs
Agency for Financial Instrument Oversight
The Agency for Financial Instrument Oversight (AFIO) is the primary regulatory body of Urcea's financial system. While significant oversight abilities - as well as control of monetary policy - ultimately rests with the Levantine Union, AFIO is primarily responsible for enforcing anti-usury laws while also having the basic responsibility of directly implementing fines and other sanctions on businesses which violate directives of the Levantine Union.