African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 690 - 378: Attempt at the Civil Servant System

The Jiaozhou Motorcycle Exhibition in East Africa this time is more for marketing, to increase visibility. As for the consumption situation in the Far East Empire, it can only be said to be severely polarized; however, fortunately now, internal combustion engine-powered vehicles are all considered high-end luxury goods, so East Africa never really considered opening up the civilian market.

Given the size of the Far East Empire, there are still plenty of wealthy individuals. By rights, East Africa should focus on key areas like Guangdong, Shanghai, or the Capital and Tianjin, but that's only considering the issue from an economic perspective.

Due to East Africa's origins as a former colony, changing many countries' stereotypes is also a task East Africa aims to accomplish.

Countries like the United States and Brazil, which have histories spanning hundreds of years, have already been accepted by the public, while East Africa is still sometimes automatically categorized as a colonial territory.

This is very unfavorable for East Africa's national image, and the national image is closely related to the brand's market effectiveness. Take British products, for example; regardless of their quality, in many countries' eyes they are the best, since they come from the world's leading power. Can their goods be anything but excellent?

This is similar to the previous times when Far East Empire products were exported then sold domestically. Prices doubled, yet many were willing to pay, representing a form of cultural hegemony.

Compared to the five vehicles for the Far East Empire, East Africa's deployment to Europe and America exceeded three hundred vehicles. This scale is quite considerable, though given the number of European countries, the average distribution is just so-so.

The reason for the high motorcycle output from East Africa is actually due to the gradual maturity of the East African bicycle industry chain.

To speak nothing of the rest, the tire specifications for both are almost identical. Many factories producing bicycle components can manufacture parts for motorcycles.

Moreover, arming motorcycles is easier than cars, significantly reducing assembly demands. However, it also poses significant drawbacks, such as greater requirements on the internal combustion engines of the vehicles.

The internal combustion engines providing power to motorcycles cannot be too large, leading to poor motorcycle performance. However, they are currently not a widespread consumer item, at most offering middle-class individuals who cannot afford cars a chance to consume.

But speaking of East Africa's current biggest demand, it is still bicycles. With the support of hollow inflatable tires and the government's investments over the past few years, East African nationals' demand for bicycles is very strong.

Targeted mainly at government personnel, urban residents, and the military, these groups ensure East African domestic bicycles don't worry about sales.

Meanwhile, overseas market expansion is very smooth, since East Africa is the largest rubber production base. The biggest previous restriction on bicycle sales was tires.

East Africa's main competitor is the United States, whose rubber needs importing from Brazil and East Africa. Previously, Brazil did not prioritize rubber industries, inadvertently causing America to lag behind East Africa in this field.

After all, the technical barrier for bicycles is low enough that ordinary people can construct them by following diagrams, so ultimately, the cost advantage is key.

Besides raw material prices, expanding production capacity is one of the most important means for reducing costs. East Africa invested early and sizable, allowing it to reap the benefits.

Germany and Austria are also major bicycle producers, but their industries are essentially controlled by the Heixinggen conglomerate. The first reason is that rubber needs to be imported from East Africa, and the relationship between the Heixinggen conglomerate and East Africa is self-evident. The second reason is that the Heixinggen conglomerate acted early. Bicycles have always been part of the Heixinggen Daily Necessities Company's business; however, in the past, the performance of bicycles was difficult to discuss, even the healthiest individuals would feel overwhelmed by the rattling.

But when it comes to the bicycle industry, the most important factor is the idea of assembly line production, which was Ernst's key to success back then. East African bicycle production achieved internal industry division and cooperation based on this concept, increasing production capacity.

The key was establishing a unified standard, which, compared to a host of solitary companies and small workshops in Europe and America, gave East African bicycles their competitive edge in terms of quality and after-sales service.

Unified standards mean more reliable quality control, and components can be provided by the Heixinggen Daily Necessities Company or designated after-sales points, making maintenance convenient.

Moreover, in Ernst's view, East African bicycles debuted at their peak, with essentially no major shortcomings. Further progress would require applying carbon fiber materials or the like, but such technology is clearly impossible in the current era.

Of course, aluminum products are also an excellent substitute, but the current limited production of aluminum makes it unaffordable for the average consumer. Furthermore, ordinary people need bicycles for work, requiring high load capacity, not just as simple transportation tools, so iron frames will remain mainstream.

Overall, East Africa has firmly established itself in this industry, simultaneously driving the operation of over a hundred factories.

Among these, some component factories can provide parts for carriages, motorcycles, and even cars, forming interaction among the industries.

... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, according to your request and national conditions, we will officially implement the civil service exam nationwide next year."

After over twenty years of development, the number of East African middle school students has finally reached a certain base level, coinciding with the time of East African baby boom.

Therefore, government reforms must align with the times, such as modernizing the selection process for government personnel, which is a key focus.

"This civil service exam should be steadily advanced; rushing won't develop greatness. It's necessary to consider the sentiments of many current government officials. The modernization of the country is an overwhelming trend, and East Africa must align with this trend."

While the scope of the exam is technically nationwide, more accurately it targets the Eastern regions, as these regions started early, with early and more complete education system construction.

For instance, in many parts of the Central and Western regions, compulsory primary education has not been fully popularized even now, given that East African governance has lasted less than ten years, and migration also requires time, thus they won't enjoy the benefits of this civil service exam.

But even in the East, the competition will be fierce. Since this is the government's first execution, it is in a testing phase, so the entry threshold can't be set too high.

Many East African officials have entered government work through the military system, Heixinggen conglomerate, or by appointment, so they must be given buffer time.

The United Kingdom commenced its civil service system ten years ago, centralized around university admission, whereas East Africa, in terms of higher education, still has a long way to go, so it can only lower standards, with high school graduation as the minimum requirement.

"This exam must fully learn from British and Far East Empire experiences to select knowledgeable, era-compliant civil management personnel. Previously, East Africa lacked a foundation, so many officials were insufficiently competent for administrative functions, especially during the critical period of national industrial transition. We need more educated talent," Ernst set the tone.

East African veteran officials, including King Constantine, actually lack sufficient understanding of industry and related knowledge.

If discussing art, religion, or military matters with Constantine, it would be theoretical; discussing industry would truly be challenging. Within European universities, liberal arts remain mainstream.

East African high school graduation is equivalent to other countries' senior high school graduation standards, having undergone ten years of compulsory education; even if not proficient in mathematics, physics, and chemistry, they at least have foundational understanding.

This is closely tied to East Africa's transition to an industrial society, necessitating more knowledgeable young participants in national governance.

Of course, many restrictions exist, such as the admission quota being over a hundred people, as the steps can't be too drastic, hence there's little short-term outcome visible. However, it can timely address problems encountered, preventing irreversible disasters.