The Clone Star Empire has announced a series of economic measures including privatisations of a number of state arms firms including the Clone Aircraft Corporation in order to build a 35 billion zark "modernization fund". It is thought this money is being earmarked for the desperately needed upgrades to key HCS infrastructure such as its core communications network.
Deputy Emperor Sleeze of the CSE-W denied that the empire was in trouble though admitted that the economic boom that has lasted over much of the last decade was over. "Economies are cyclical." he did admit however. It is because of this downturn that the CSE are struggling to find funds for infrastructure upgrades as well as leaving existing budgets untouched. Privatisations and the selling off of around 4 billion zarks worth of unused military and state owned land on Cloneworld (and 1.9 billion zarks worth elsewhere) can bring in the money needed.
