ABRAXAS, Yushan -- Czerka Corporation officials announced today that they have come to an agreement with the planetary governments in Abraxas to designate the system a free trade zone, eliminating all import and export tariffs in the system.  Czerka Corporation Executive Director Ogban Orineddi said the concessions were made in response to Czerka's generous developments in the system.  "In addition to planetary infrastructure," Orineddi said, "Czerka has provided station infrastructure throughout Abraxian space including a public trading station directly in orbit of Abraxas I to accommodate merchant vendors from across the galaxy, a subsidized zoo station affiliated with the Galactic Parks Network, stations to support the public sale and export of most commonly-available raw materials, and a publicly accessible hyperlane research station to promote travel to and from the system.  The people of Abraxas have grown to support not only themselves, but also to meet the needs of almost any traveler -- whether business professional, bounty hunter, or tourist -- who should pass through."

Orineddi also highlighted the efforts of specific Czerka personnel in spearheading efforts to increase public services in the system.  "We owe a lot to Geaic Vastar of Czerka Mining and Industrial, who oversaw mining expansion in the system and supervised reclamation of previously blighted areas which have undergone a renaissance thanks to this boom.  Ares Rendix oversaw the municipal services expansion throughout the system, and Rakket Castoridae oversaw the development of non-sectarian religious sites under the auspices of The Kingdom of Elysia Religious Services by Czerka which can accommodate the vast number of different cultural traditions now observed by the system's inhabitants."

While it may be that Czerka's investments in the system prompted the policy shift, local economists and government officials suggest they would not have been possible without a recent spike in GDP linked to a sharp rise in the system's population, which Galactic New Service reported on Y23 D282.  The system-wide gross domestic product in Year 23 showed a remarkable 4.2% increase in GDP over the previous year.  GDP, which measures the total market value of goods and services produced, ideally runs between 2% and 3%.  A lower GDP could indicate an economic contraction, while a higher rate could signal an unsustainable bubble.  Officials are cautiously optimistic that last year's rate reflects the increased immigration, rather than any overvaluation.  Abraxas Minister of Commerce Nel-Bana-Osco said, "A single year of unusually rapid expansion is not yet a trend. Population growth is already leveling off, and if the economy simply matches that pace we can call this a win for the people of Abraxas."  The shift in per capita GDP, which is down 0.5%, supports that forecast as it correlates to an increased percentage of the retiree population attracted to the system.

Orineddi echoed the minister's assessment, attributing the close correlation to the integrated solutions company's direct intervention to manage the growing population and economy.  "The key to managing an immigration boom is to remember that the problem brings its own solution," Orineddi said.  "While the new arrivals need housing, utilities, infrastructure, and jobs, they are themselves an untapped pool of both skilled and unskilled labor.  By incorporating newcomers into our existing workforce as they arrived, we were able to expand residential and commercial infrastructure to meet demand as it rose in real time, and also expanded industrial infrastructure to provide most of the goods the growing population needs.  The local inhabitants have certainly put forth a commendable effort to meet their own needs, and we in the Czerka family are proud to have provided the guidance they have needed to do so."

"The only remaining issue," Orineddi said, "is that although the local infrastructure is able to produce necessities, our well-traveled immigrant population has a high demand for imported goods and artisan wares from other parts of the galaxy they have lived in previously.  Imports, by their nature, cannot be produced locally, and so we have worked with the local governments to eliminate trade barriers and develop incentives to promote a fluid exchange of goods."

Businesses or individuals wishing to open a shop at Abraxas can reach out via the Czerka Corporation Holonet to take advantage of promotional incentives.  Travelers who wish to visit the system can feed these coordinates into their navcomputers.