16.09.2014 Ankara
Speaking at the Development Agencies Workshop, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out the need for continual increase of public-private sector dialogue on all platforms and that TOBB supports the local development mentality initiated by development agencies both in material terms and in spirit.
Development Agencies Workshop was attended by Development Minister
Cevdet Yılmaz and the chamber and exchange presidents from 81 provinces at the
TOBB Union Center.
Speaking during the opening of the Workshop, TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have come together to discuss how to bring
chambers and exchanges representing the private sector and the development
agencies which have shouldered a great role for the future of Turkey closer
together.
Hisarcıklıoğlu drew attention to the importance of local geographical
markers and cities and said, “The time when decisions would all be made in
Ankara to be obeyed in Anatolia is over. Every province has unique needs. We
must implement local goals and work together towards them.”
- Cities will be the new brands
Stating that the new brands of the world will be cities, not countries,
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the number of cities in the world with populations
over 1 million have risen from 77 in 1950 to 436 today. Hisarcıklıoğlu, stating
that cities have been growing rapidly for in last 60 years and said:
“A total of 179 million people lived in these cities whereas today 1.4
billion people are living in cities. By 2025, cities with populations over 1
million will have reached 616. The total population of said cities will have
reached 2.1 billion. There is great competition. The cities which get left
behind will lose out. Those which put themselves out there will become the star
cities of tomorrow.”
Stating that cities need to fulfill 5 basic criteria, Hisarcıklıoğlu
listed these as qualified people, quality of life, private sector friendly
business environment, connectedness to other cities and countries and, lastly,
strong leadership.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated the importance of development agencies, chambers
and exchanges working together for actualizing private sector focused local
development and global competition.
- Development Minister Cevdet
Yılmaz
Development Minister Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the new regional policy
mentality is shaped around the concepts of competition and fairness, “These two
concepts form the core of our regional policy.”
Stating that, as a part of the 10th Development Plan, they
are collecting information from the local level for the first time, Yılmaz said
that they have adopted a new regional policy mentality.
Reporting that development agencies receive 1.3 billion TRY from the
central budget, 694 million TRY from municipalities and 24 million TRY from
chambers of commerce and industry, Yılmaz also stated that development agencies
will additionally serve as contributors to the various programs ministries are
running on a local scale.
Stating that they are open to criticism, Yılmaz said, “We can make this
institutional structure so much better through constructive criticism.”
The Workshop was conducted closed to the press following the opening
remarks.