Currying favour
Turns out, one of The Great Khan’s ministers is an expert at cooking the books, according to Isloo’s wags. At issue is the Post and Other Communications, and its supposed record revenue collection. When the announcement was made, our mole fell into a swoon because he knew well that the min was simply trying to curry favour with The Great Khan by cooking the books. Rumour has it, he’d been trying to get his subordinates to record revenue on an accrual basis ie, include receivables which have yet to be paid to government, and express expenditures on a cash basis, ie ignore short term and long term liabilities already taken. This was making a mockery of basic public finance principles but The Khan’s min doesn’t care – as long as his boss is happy with the first announcement. Who cares about the clarifications that have to come later?
Biting the bullet
We hear The Great Khan tries to assert his independence from you-know-who, every now and then. A case in point is his staunch defence of his nominee for the Land of Five Rivers – although there was a time when he wouldn’t hear of change. Now he simply keeps his own council when the case comes up. The gossip is that on a few occasions when he’s had to bite the bullet, he’s told his gurus that he “has no attachment to power”, that he “cannot be tempted by wealth or pelf” and that he can easily go back to the “simple life” that was his lot before his elevation.
Wedding bells?
Are we soon going to hear of someone important’s nuptials to someone important by association? Watch this space.