– The CDS should devote sufficient resources to promote commercial
development, including developing a promotion plan and materials,
and a recognized brand for CDS business.
– The space available for commercial projects should include retail
as well as services, consulting, or games or performance businesses.
Providing space for these other businesses may be attractive avenues
of development for the CDS.
– The CDS should use some of its resources to support opportunities
for new business development by its citizens.
Therefore:
1. COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY means the sale or offering to the public
of virtual goods, services, consulting, games or performances.
[section 2 dropped]
3. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The Chancellor is requested to
develop a promotional plan for substantial commercial activity within CDS
with the help of a experienced business consultant. The Chancellor must
secure approval from the RA to contract or commit for any consulting
payment in excess of L$25,000 for this purpose. The final report
shall be posted publicly no later than 15 November 2008. The report
should address options for incentives, land prices, land uses and programs
to promote commerce.
4. COMMERCIAL LAND SET ASIDE. The CDS will set aside not less than 15%
of all commercial plots that it owns (either through abandonment or new
development) for new business development by CDS citizens, in the following
manner.
a. Land under this program would be allocated by competition. Citizens
would file a business description with the Chancellor who would set
procedures for evaluating that plan in a non-partisan way.
b. Citizens winning the competition for specific plots would have the
right to lease those plots for a period of six months at 50% of the
CDS stated tier rate without having to purchase the plot. Note that this
lease does not, by itself, satisfy the requirements for citizenship.
c. At the end of the lease the citizen would have the right to purchase
the plot. No business may lease land under this program more than once.
d. If the chancellor fails to find a qualified citizen interested in leasing
a plot under this program within three months of its becoming available,
the plot may be released for sale.
e. This provision shall be in effect until the RA meeting following the receipt of the above consultative report.
5. RENT SURCHARGE REPEAL. The provisions of the 8th RA’s Commerce
bill providing for rent surcharges on commercial property are hereby repealed.
Re-examination of legal and other incentives for substantial commercial activity
is expected after the earlier of 15 November 2008 or receipt of the above
consultative report.
6. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. No CDS Chamber of Commerce or similar
merchants group may exercise any designated advisory powers in CDS matters
until it is operating under an NGO charter approved by the RA.