Standards Board
The Standards Board is a grouping of merchant blocs trading in Ivrea and neighbouring countries. It was establish largely through the efforts of Tekuna Chand. Tekuna’s stated goal for the Standards Board is to increase the quality and efficiency of trade in the region. Perhaps because the Board is housed in Rotan, it is sometimes said that Tekuna’s secondary motivation for forming the Board is to increase the RMA’s control over regional trade.

The first steps towards the establishment of the Board were taken in 2705:7. Talks between Tekuna and Ghazal Nikrig of Draco Trading resulted in an initial co-operative agreement between the two groups. Negotiations continued in the subsequent months and culminated on 2705:10:20 with the first formal sitting of the Standards Board. The following organisations were each represented at the first sitting of the Board:

The Standards Board’s primary goal is to draft specifications and set other metrics for regional trade. The Board responds to complaints of sub-standard goods or broken contracts where a member company is involved. The Board also intends to advise governments of the region on issues of taxation and trade levies.

In the short time since the Standards Board held its first sitting, there have already been signs of strong disapproval from the Simipian Merchant Houses. The Houses apparently feel that the Standards Board will unfairly restrict goods originating in Simipia from reaching other Ivrean markets.