Ministry of Economic Affairs

The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MoEA) is the central financial and commercial authority of the Sapphire Empire. It serves as one of the five primary ministries operating under the direct authority of the Sapphire Throne and is responsible for managing fiscal policy, regulating trade and labor systems, and sustaining economic equilibrium across all seventy-five realms under Imperial jurisdiction.   The Ministry oversees the Sapphire Mint and Revenue Division and the Commerce Regulation Authority, two principal agencies tasked with currency production, taxation, and trade oversight. It administers the circulation of Vires, the Empire’s universal currency, manages taxation and state revenue, licenses commercial enterprises, maintains economic records, and advises both the Imperial Assembly and the Empress on all financial and labor matters. The Ministry is headed by the Minister of Economic Affairs, who serves as a member of the Imperial Council. The Imperial Treasurer, though largely advisory, provides counsel on minting, reserve policy, and macroeconomic stability. The signatures of both officials appear on all official currency issuances of the Empire.   The Ministry of Economic Affairs was established in Year 0 AFE by decree of Empress Salena Athomath, following the unification of the seventy-five realms. Its founding unified disparate currencies and fiscal systems under a single economic authority, marking one of the first major acts of post-unification governance. The Empire’s first Minister, Dalen Corsen, oversaw the transition of regional treasuries and trade councils into a centralized economic network, forming the backbone of the Imperial fiscal structure still in use today.   The Ministry is customarily referred to simply as “Economic Affairs” in official correspondence—a linguistic remnant of the early reconstruction era. Its official seal depicts a balanced scale, representing the equilibrium between trade and labor, with a cube symbolizing commerce and a gear representing industry, unified beneath the emblem of Vires, denoting fiscal stability and the shared prosperity of the Empire.  

Organizational Structure

  The Ministry of Economic Affairs is organized into two primary branches: the Administrative Secretariat and the Operational Directorates. The Secretariat is responsible for developing policy, strategic forecasting, and inter-ministerial coordination, while the Directorates execute the Ministry’s mandates concerning trade, labor, currency, and taxation across the seventy-five realms of the Sapphire Empire.  

Structure

 

Minister of Economic Affairs

 

Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs

 

Imperial Treasurer

 

Sapphire Mint and Revenue Division (SMRD)

 

Minting and Circulation Bureau

Imperial Taxation Authority

Fiscal Analysis and Forecast Office

Undersecretary for Trade and Industry

 

Commerce Regulation Authority (CRA)

 

Licensing and Compliance Office

Trade and Tariff Bureau

Corporate Registration and Certification Office

Resource Allocation Office (RAO)

 

Logistics Coordination Bureau

Supply Chain Oversight Division

Commodity Flow Registry

Undersecretary for Labor and Equity

 

Department of Financial Equity (DFE)

 

Wage and Standards Directorate

Labor Rights and Arbitration Office

Employment Advancement Bureau

   

Undersecretary for Market Oversight

 

Market Surveillance Bureau (MSB)

 

Anti-Corruption Division

Price Stabilization Office

Economic Integrity Taskforce

   

Undersecretary for Fiscal Enforcement and Policy

 

Office of Imperial Revenue Review

Office of Audit and Financial Conduct

Imperial Fiscal Tribunal (Advisory)

 

Inspectorate of Economic Affairs

 

Internal Audit Directorate

Office of Compliance and Conduct

Division of Market Integrity

Directorates and Agencies

  Sapphire Mint and Revenue Division (SMRD) The SMRD is responsible for the design, production, and circulation of Vires, the imperial currency, and for the management of taxation systems across all realms. It also develops long-term fiscal forecasts and manages the Empire’s sovereign reserves.   Commerce Regulation Authority (CRA) The CRA licenses and oversees commercial entities, enforces fair trade standards, and regulates inter-realm commerce. It ensures that economic expansion aligns with Imperial law and market stability.   Resource Allocation Office (RAO) The RAO manages the inter-realm movement of goods, materials, and essential resources. It operates supply chain monitoring systems to prevent shortages, bottlenecks, or monopolistic accumulation of vital commodities.   Department of Financial Equity (DFE) The DFE enforces equitable labor practices, establishes standardized wages, and maintains economic inclusion across all class tiers. It collaborates with guilds, cooperatives, and realm-level labor councils to maintain balance between industrial growth and worker welfare.   Market Surveillance Bureau (MSB) The MSB functions as the investigative and enforcement arm of the MoEA, monitoring economic activity for fraud, artificial scarcity, or market distortion. It holds cross-ministerial authority to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Welfare and Order on economic crime investigations.   Imperial Fiscal Tribunal (IFT) An advisory board composed of economists, data analysts, and realm representatives. The Tribunal reviews major policy proposals and provides independent assessments of the Empire’s macroeconomic stability.   Inspectorate of Economic Affairs (IEA) An independent auditing body within the Ministry tasked with internal oversight, ensuring compliance with Imperial economic law, and investigating misconduct or inefficiency in MoEA operations.  

Budget and Staffing

  The Ministry of Economic Affairs maintains one of the largest operational budgets of any Imperial Ministry, reflecting its dual role in both fiscal administration and trade regulation. Its funding is drawn from the Imperial Treasury’s central allocation, with additional revenue generated through taxation, licensing, and regulated market duties collected under the Imperial Revenue Charter.   For Fiscal Year 7 AFE, the Ministry’s authorized expenditure totaled ⱽR̷128.4 billion Vires, distributed across six major administrative functions:   Program Authorized Funding (in billions ⱽR̷)   Administration and Management ⱽR̷ 7.1 Currency and Revenue Operations ⱽR̷ 34.6 Trade and Industry Regulation ⱽR̷ 29.8 Labor and Equity Enforcement ⱽR̷ 21.5 Market Oversight and Enforcement ⱽR̷ 18.6 Audit and Compliance Functions ⱽR̷ 16.8 Total ⱽR̷ 128.4 billion     Appropriations are reviewed by the Imperial Finance Council and ratified by the Imperial Assembly’s Committee on Fiscal Affairs, ensuring alignment with the Empire’s macroeconomic goals and the principle of inter-realm equity. Emergency allocations may be issued directly by decree of the Sapphire Throne in response to major economic disruption or inter-realm crisis.   As of 7 AFE, the Ministry employs approximately 94,000 functionaries, distributed between the central administrative complex in Athomathia and regional directorates across the Empire’s seventy-five realms. The Sapphire Mint and Revenue Division accounts for nearly one-third of all personnel, with the Commerce Regulation Authority and Market Surveillance Bureau comprising the majority of field operations.   Personnel within the Ministry serve under the Imperial Economic Service (IES), a professional corps distinct from the general civil administration. IES officers are appointed through merit examinations and bound by the Imperial Code of Bureaucratic Conduct, emphasizing integrity, impartiality, and economic stewardship across all realms.   Headquarters   Since its establishment, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has maintained its central offices within the Ring Spire District of the Imperial City, Athomathia. The Ministry occupies the Fiscal Spire, a tri-tiered complex housing the Sapphire Mint & Revenue Division, the Ministerial Council Chambers, and the Imperial Fiscal Tribunal.   Its foundation engraved with the MoEA’s maxim: “For the Many, Across the Realms.” The Fiscal Spire is linked by high-speed transit conduits to the central administrative hub of the Sapphire Palace and to the ministries of Defense, Affairs, and Science, allowing for near-instant coordination between the Empire’s economic and strategic apparatuses.