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Once again it’s time to stop in and visit Neopia’s top economic experts. Joining our hosts this week will be Dorra Filbus of “Citizens for a Free Desert,” who’ll be here to discuss the impact Chia Steel would have on The Lost Desert. And now, here are Neil and Maria…
KAUVUTO: Hello and thank you for joining us this week at The Neo-Market Report. I’m your host Neil Kauvuto, Financial Editor of The Neopian Times, and as always I’m joined by my co-host Maria Blumaroono, who comes to us today from the floor of the exchange. Maria, what’s the latest news?
BLUMAROONO: Well Neil, this week’s lead story is the complete and utter collapse of Chia Steel’s plans to move into The Lost Desert. Faced with thousands of protesters rioting in the streets, it looks like J.P. Moehogan’s Chia Steel might actually have to shelve the entire project, costing the company billions of NP in lost revenue. The calamity began on Tuesday, when an angry mob of Sakhmetians arrived at Chia Steel’s ground breaking ceremony, trashing everything in sight within a matter of minutes. As word of the rioting spread back to Neopia Central, the company’s stock began a precipitous decline that has yet to let up, leaving Chia Steel with a forty-three point plummet for the week.
KAUVUTO: As could be expected, the protests in The Lost Desert have also hurt the stock price of Skeith Feeding, the company who won the food services contract for Chia Steel’s Sakhmetian factory. The eight-point decline in Skeith Feeding’s stock price, though not as steep as Chia Steel’s, nevertheless marks a significant loss for the company, whose CEO Gordo Grumbley has openly stated that this is by far the biggest deal in the company’s history.
On the other hand, a number of other companies were able to show profits for the week. Leading the way was Buzz-A-Way Insect Removal, who has benefited greatly from swarms of migrating Grakle bugs slowly making their way into Neopia Central. Unlike The Lost Desert, where Grakle bugs are enjoyed as a delicacy, cosmopolitan Neos have not taken a liking to these crunchy critters. This has worked out well for Buzz-A-Way—who have literally “made a killing” by getting rid of those pesky Grakles. Another company making money this week was Bob’s Big Bonus Bingo, who posted a gain for the sixth week in a row. In fact, the company’s value has grown tenfold in the past month and a half, as their stock price has risen from six NPs a share to nearly sixty since the first week of Swimming.
BLUMAROONO: Our guest this week has been thrust into the spotlight rather suddenly. As leader of “Citizens For a Free Desert,” Dorra Filbus has led the charge against Chia Steel in The Lost Desert. Dorra, thank you for coming out to join us today…
DORRA: Thanks, Maria. I feel honoured to be here…
BLUMAROONO: Now, could you tell us about your opposition to Chia Steel?
DORRA: To be honest with you, look at what’s happened in the past few months—we’ve been invaded by Dr. Sloth and his army, tens of thousands of Neopians have moved to the desert and bought up all our land, and now we’re starting to have environmental concerns, such as the problem of Grackle migration. Chia Steel was just the straw that broke the Apis’ back…
KAUVUTO: But what about all the jobs that Chia Steel’s presence will create in The Lost Desert? Won’t that be a boost to your economy?
DORRA: Neil, the only reason Chia Steel wants to come to the desert is so that they can pay us half what they were paying their workers at home. Let’s face it; J.P. Moehogan’s not coming over here to pay competitive wages and give us benefits like medical and dental care. They’re coming here to exploit our labour and pollute our environment… then they’ll pick up and leave when they find a better deal somewhere else. What about the effect THAT will have on our economy? No thanks; we’ll do just fine without Chia Steel…
BLUMAROONO: You make it sound so awful, but didn’t the people of The Lost Desert build all those pyramids for free? I mean, at least it’s not that bad…
DORRA: That’s the thing; we fought long and hard for our independence, so now that we’ve got our rights we can’t go back to being treated like lowly servants, which is exactly what would have happened if we hadn’t taken a stand against Chia Steel. Hopefully, other companies with their eye on The Lost Desert will look at what happened to Chia Steel and learn a lesson.
KAUVUTO: It looks like that’s all the time we have for this week. For Dorra Filbus and Maria Blumaroono, this is Neil Kauvuto saying thank you and so long….
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