Paul Bernard was a great writer and policy-maker. He strongly believed that the economy of the colonies needed to be developed. He argued that the purpose of gaining control over colonies was to make profits. If the economy was developed and the standard of living of the people improved, they would be able to buy more goods. As a result, the market would expand which would lead to better profits for French business. The three barriers which were a hurdle in improving the economy of Vietnam: (i) High population levels (ii) Low agricultural productivity (iii) Extensive indebtedness amongst the peasants.