1. Merchant Registration:

 

    A) Upon swearing citizenship to the Home Stone, Citizens of the Caste of Merchants will register their caste information with the second chair merchant of Vonda. Who will notify the designated Scribe. Failure of merchants to register,  in a timely manner could result in the removal of Caste acknowledgement within the city walls, or fines, including but not limited to a revoking of business permits which allow a merchant to conduct business within the walls of Vonda.

 

    B) Children born to the caste of merchants by parents who are sworn citizens of Vonda will be registered into the caste registry by the second chair merchant upon notification which must be completed by the child's 5th birthday.

 

    

 

2. Merchant Caste Structure:

    *All appointments are subject to the approval of the High Council or its Administrator if so deemed necessary.

 

    A) En'Merchant The En'Merchant of Vonda shall hold the following duties and be responsible for the general caste structure and the general running of the caste.

 

    1. Directly answers to the Administrator and the High Council of Vonda or an appointed Ubar. At the discretion of the High Council holds a seat upon the High Council, which He or She may or may not be allowed to vote. Is expected to attend all meetings.

 

    2. Administers Caste law within the walls of Vonda, ensuring the High Council and its appointed Magistrates are kept up to date on Merchant Law, the only common law governing the civilized lands of Gor regardless of Home Stone or City State territories.

 

    3.  Is responsible for appointing with the approval of the Administrator of the High Council, a Se'Merchant, Te'Merchant and an alternative Merchant Chair.

 

    4. Is responsible for overseeing the quality and completeness of all administrative duties pertaining to Merchant functions within the city and is expected to keep the High Council, the Administrator and the appropriate City scribes informed of all laws, changes, and other pertinent information regarding the caste.

 

    5. Is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of trade alliances for the city, including but not limited to traveling to other cities to secure them, or holding diplomatic meetings within the city for the same goal

and purpose. Will ensure all records are kept up to date and available to the city scribes and High Council as designated by the caste of scribes .

 

    6. Will hold and conduct meetings within the caste of scribes as necessary to maintain a functioning caste body.

 

    B) Se'Merchant The Se'Merchant shall be responsible for the following duties.

 

    1. Registration of all merchants into the city wide caste registry, ensuring that within a year of citizenship they become registered within the Gor wide caste registry.  Directs new merchants to the third chair merchant for proper registration and licensing of new businesses.

 

    2. Maintains intercity merchant caste relations.

 

    3. Oversees city functions and Sardar fair functions as they pertain to the merchant caste.

 

    4. Is responsible for collecting annual caste fee's to be used for the maintenance of the caste itself, the markets of Vonda, as well as caste charity.

 

    5. Will keep the En'Merchant up to date on a regular basis of His or Her progress within His or Her appointed caste functions. Answers directly to the En'Merchant.

 

 

    6. Will work in accordance of caste functions with the Te'Merchant as it pertains to registration of caste and will through the help of the Te'Merchant verify business registrations while registering merchants into caste. 

 

 

    C) Te'Merchant The Te'Merchant shall be responsible for the following duties.

 

    1. Registration and licensure of Merchant businesses and the annual fees paid to the city of Vonda to conduct business within Her walls. Including but not limited to the following: Store/Shop leasing if from the city of Vonda, street space for mats, or vendor stalls. Will be responsible for ensuring that all funds collected in the name of Vonda are deposited into the correct accounts through designated city scribes and banking institutions. See Conducting merchant business for further details.

 

    2. Will keep a city record with the designated scribe on all businesses owned, operated and licensed, regardless of weather or not they are active at any given time.  This will include merchant name, shop, stall, vendor booth type, leasing or renting information or ownership of shops, who they are leased or rented by, type of business, weather or not they import items in from elsewhere and if they do...from who. This will ensure the city is kept up to date on all activities that may affect or reflect upon the city itself.

 

    3. Will be responsible for aiding incoming merchants on establishing business within the city. Will direct new merchants to the Se'Merchant for proper registration of caste if not completed already.

 

    4.Will keep the En'Merchant up to date as well as the City Scribe. Answers directly to the En'Merchant.

 

    5. Will work in accordance of caste functions with the Se'Merchant as it pertains to registration of businesses and will through the help of the Se'Merchant verify Merchant registrations before registering and licensing any businesses.

 

    D) Alternate Merchant Caste Chair: Because of the reality that not all people are available when needed, a fourth chair shall be established, as an alternate. This alternate will be appointed by the following bodies of government: The En'Merchant, The High Council and Administrator. The duties of the Alternate Caste chair will be as a stand in, when a situation arises that necessitates the need of one of the caste chairs who is not available. This includes the duties of the En'Merchant. The responsibility of the alternate caste chair is to be familiar with all aspects of the Caste of Merchants of Vonda and each chairs functions.

 

3. Merchant Business Guidelines: In order for any merchant to conduct business within the walls of Vonda the following guidelines must be adhered to:

 

    Business Classifications:

 

Summary: Citizens, Non Citizens. Merchants and Non Merchants.

 

All business conducted for profit or salary shall fall under and be held accountable to Merchant Law. All fees collected are only collected by the Merchants and turned over to the city to help the city of Vonda prosper. It doesn't matter what caste you are if you run a busines in Vonda then you are subject to pay fees.

 

 

Citizens:

 

    1. A) Merchant Caste Registrations on file with the Merchants .

        B) Slavers Caste registrations verified and on file with the Merchants. 

        C) Non Merchant caste approval to conduct business verified and on file.

 

    2. Annual Merchant Caste Fee's paid in full when applicable. (Only those of the Caste of Merchants will be held accountable to pay said fee's to the caste of Merchants)

 

    3. Annual Business licensure and registration completed and paid in full.

 

    4. Non Merchant Caste, Business permit obtained and on file.

        

        Slavers are a sub caste of the Merchants and all business conducted by slavers fall under Merchant law and guidelines. The Caste of Slavers will be responsible for the running of their own caste and registering them. However, businesses and licensing registrations fall directly under the Caste of Merchants, and shall be handled accordingly through them.

 

        Builders, Artisans, and other non merchant castes,  though of a different caste are still subject to Merchant law and business registrations enforced by the caste of merchants. Should a builder or an artisan choose to sell their wares through a registered merchant it shall fall upon the registered merchant to conduct business for them through their establishment and adhere to all merchant laws in effect inside the city of Vonda.

 

Should a non merchant citizen choose to establish a business without the assistance of a merchant, all applicable registrations and fee's are in effect, as well as Merchant law and are subject to approval by the caste as well as the Administrator and the High Council. This is in effect due to the standard of what is considered normal Gorean etiquette and custom. 

 

 

For Citizens not of the Caste of Merchants:

 

    1.  Approval of either the En'Merchant or the High Council and Administrator is needed for non Merchants to conduct business otherwise considered of a nature that would be normally conducted by a merchant. This is to ensure that the code of ethics of business as structured by the caste as a whole is met.

    1 A. Permit to operate business Fee due annually. (A permit is required, to ensure that all business holdings are conducted in an ethical manner conductive to good business relations.)

    1 B. Business licensure fee paid annually. (Licensure is required as a part of the tax system of Vonda)

 

    2. Real Estate ventures. If a citizen not of the caste of merchants, ventures into a business in order to make a continued salary or profit through the buying and selling or leasing and renting of property, a permit to conduct business must be obtained and a license to conduct business must be paid for in full.

 

 

For Non Citizens of the Caste of Merchants:

 

    1. Approval of either the En'Merchant or the High Council and Administrator is needed for non citizens to conduct regular business within the walls of Vonda.

 

    2. Upon approval to conduct business in Vonda, registration with the Te'Merchant must be completed and applicable fee's, permits or licensure's  paid in advance.

 

 

Fees for operating/conducting business within Vonda:

 

 

Business Licensure Fee's: Paid annually  3 copper tarsk disks of Vondian Mint and weight standards. (For all businesses)

 

Non Caste Business Permit Fee's: Paid annually  4 copper tarsk disks of Vondan Mint and weight standards. (For non merchants only)

 

Caste Fee's:  3 Copper paid annually to the Caste of Merchants to be used for upkeep pertaining to the caste or for use as charity within the caste. In times of crisis can be waived, if voted on and approved by the city caste structure. (For Merchants of Vonda only)

 

Mats: Mat space on the street of coins, or the street of brands cannot consist of any structure including tents. Is limited to a space twice the size of a man. Wares and paraphernalia, considered necessary in order to conduct business must be able to be contained within this space. 

Annual fee's for operation: 

Annual permit fee: 1 Copper tarsk disk of Vonda Mint and weight standards.

Annual renewal fee: 2% of annual gross income or 2 copper tarsk disks if unknown.

 

Vendor Booths/Stalls: Vendor booths and or stalls, shall not exceed the maximum space limit of 12 feet (10 horts) by 12 feet (10 horts) .and shall adhere to all city building safety codes if applicable. Wares must be contained within the space allotted, whether displayed inside or out of the booth/stall.

 

Permanent Stalls/booths are defined as structures that are considered permanently fixed in place regardless of whether or not they can be taken down and moved. These structures can include but are not limited to tents type structures.

Annual permit fee: 3 copper tarsk disks of Vonda mint and weight standards.

Annual renewal fee: 2% of annual gross income or 3 copper tarsk disks if unknown.

 

Shops/Taverns/Inns/Auction houses/etc...: Per business name, per type of business. You may not put more than one business under a permit or license. This includes slaver houses.

 

Annual fee's for operation: 

Annual permit fee: 5 Copper tarsk disk of Vonda Mint and weight standards.

Annual renewal fee: 3% of annual gross income or 4 copper tarsk disks if unknown.

 

Businesses conducted out of a residence:  Per business name, per type of business. You may not put more than one business under a permit or license.This does not apply to slaver houses.

 

 

Annual fee's for operation: 

Annual permit fee: 2 Copper tarsk disk of Vonda Mint and weight standards.

Annual renewal fee: 2% of annual gross income or 3 copper tarsk disks if unknown.

 

 

Taxes / Tariffs:

 

IMPORT: Taxes and Tariffs for incoming goods. 5% levied and set based on the gross value of the goods.

 

EXPORT: Taxes and Tariffs for outgoing goods. 4% levied and set based on the gross value of the goods.

 

For Citizens only exporting goods. Citizen may be granted a waiver to pay tariffs in barter, but must be the percentage amount above, valued in goods, paid to the city. Must obtain permission of writ through the Merchant and Scribe castes.

 

Trade Treaties: Trade treaties with cities exist at various percentage rates and must be adhered to. Most are levied at 3%, but some as low as 1%.

The import or export of goods, with cities allied with, will over ride above percentages, with proof.

 

Annual Income Taxes: 2.5% of Gross Income.

 

Sales Tax: Vonda does not institute sales tax on purchased goods.

 

**However, for bartered items, that involve doing work for food or supplies,

an account of what was paid in lieu of money must be made annually, and will be calculated by Scribes at a percentage of half the worth of the goods base value.

 

Property Tax: 1.5% of the original cost of the structure paid annually. Pertains to owned structures only