Only acting under the advisory of the Directorial Board, the Interplanetary Trading Ministry is dislocated from planetary politics and usually works outside local government. This limits its capabilities to work on the planets themselves since it is not permitted to enforce laws or guidelines on the planetary surfaces but has to rely on local officials. Many activities have been moved into space installations, for this reason, giving orbital military branches easier access to resources and testing opportunities for new equipment. To avoid creating a political realm for unchecked usage of power by individuals inside the ministry, local officials from the individual planets in the systems the Interplanetary Trading Ministry operates in, have the capability to intervene and can mandate complete reports on any activity carried out in their solar system.
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Etymology
The ITM's motto "Rikedom från himlen" can directly be translated into "wealth from the heavens". Establishing a self-image for the organization to enable and provide riches for STC citizens via activities in space. Viewing its operations as a higher good to the nation as a whole, staying out of local politics, and focussing the administration and expansion of orbital activities for the benefit of the country.
History
The Interplanetary Trade Ministry's routes go further back than the Star Trading Conglomerate itself. Created in the years following Dustcrown's first space exploration program in 3179 it was tasked with coordination and approval of interplanetary exploration and early scientific colonization attempts. Under its guidance, the first manned interplanetary visiting tours and base setups were completed. It is also responsible for the creation and building of Dustrcrown's first orbital skyhook systems, which - while being modernized and scaled up in size - basically still operate on the same principles today.
With the start of early interstellar exploration missions and the eventual discovery and colonization of Dalarnas' End, the Ministry expanded its mission profiles and cooperations. Now administering interstellar exploration missions as well as civilian colonization efforts. During these early years, the ministry was also tasked with the protection and patrol of STC space, giving them extraordinary amounts of influence of any activity happening outside Dustcrowns atmosphere and de facto controlling all colonies and new settlements without any public control. While this led to the rapid development of extensive terraforming and plantation growth on Dalarnas' End, creating much-needed food for the already overpopulating homeworld, settlers trying to live in the new world felt deprived of their rights and freedoms. This restrictive behavior is viewed by modern political historians to have played a big part in the "Emancipating Pirate Revolt" and the formation of the Independent Cloud Corsairs, whose founding members largely were early settlers or born on Dalarnas' End.
With the collapse of the old state in 3264 and the absence of an entire interplanetary infrastructure after Dustcrowns sole shipyard was stolen, the ministry was disbanded for nearly two years, as control over any spacecraft left was handed to the military in several attempts to at first defeat the uprising populations and later to fight back the Independent Cloud Corsairs, constantly raiding Dustcrowns cities and towns.
After the founding of the Star Trading Conglomerate in 3266, the ministry was reinstated within the newly formed interstellar government, this time tasked only with the administration of civilian space activities. Overall the ministry's influence became much less direct, as commerce and the industrialization of space became more prevalent throughout STC space.
Structure
The ITM is divided into departments that work more or less independently in each star system it is administering. Each system has one Minister of Orbital Affairs leading their respective department of the ministry. Interstellar communication times basically require such a system, as one centralized hierarchy would be too inflexible. The ministers work together in a board, implementing and acting accordingly to new guidelines coming from the Directorial Board. All information from the individual departments is also shared between personnel from each system, creating a vast intelligence network of commercial and other civilian activities in STC space.
Working in parallel to the ministers and their staffs, are the station directors. While most small and medium-sized stations in the STC are privately held by either wealthy individuals or corporations, the larger trade hubs are usually run by public entities. While they are obligated to work profitable, a minimum of standards is upheld by the ministry and funded with a public budget. The station's directors are appointed officials from the ministry, while the local staff is handled by on-station human resource departments.
Operations
A wide variety of tasks and services are carried out by the ITM. It handles the organization and concentration of trading and production possibilities in orbital facilities all throughout STC space, creating easy access and standardized methods for private entities to conduct business, develop new products or do basic research.
It rents out or sells orbital planes and parking spots for installations, gathers taxes from private entities operating outside planetary boundaries, and handles basic safety checks and licensing.
The ministry is also the biggest provider of civilian and governmental intelligence data. Their network of orbital activities intelligence data is used in different ways, from predicting potential resource shortages to responding in emergency situations or finding wanted criminals. While policing is not covered by ITM operations, the information gathered is shared with the Trade Defense Force.
In order to not burden Trade Defense Force officials with the ethics of renting out armed protection, the ITM also handles convoy protection service bureaucracy and payments.
Funding
The ITM is funded by both an annual budget granted by the Directorial Board and the planetary parliaments, as well as a portion of taxes collected from orbital trade, fees for rented space, and convoy service subscriptions handled ministry.
A full-coverage subscription including insurance, personal convoy protection, and stand-by fleet support from the Trade Defense Force starts - according to official documents - at 499.999,95 DC per month per unit. With a unit being a ship or fleet that travels together on the same route.
Criticisms
As the ministry is the foundation of most space activities gathering great influence and intelligence of many participants in commercial space, critics often point out how dangerous this allocation of knowledge and resources could be. While misconduct from station directors of Ministers of Orbital Affairs is relatively uncommon, they are often suspect of investigations as companies with family ties to officials usually do much better while they are in office.
Other investigative reports of ministry officials conducting business with the ICC or other shady groups could not gather definitive proof but often found hints and traces of possible agreements done through highly unofficial channels or indirect influence and intelligence distribution. Occasionally individuals low inside the ITM's internal hierarchy are charged with conspiracy against the state and put in prison, although it remains an open secret that these activities are ordered from somewhere higher up in the command chain.