15.11.2015 Antalya
B20 taskforces reviewed their work conducted throughout Turkey’s G20 Chairmanship at the Antalya Summit. B20 Turkey Chair M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that they’ve broken many records during Turkey’s G20 Chairmanship and that today they are holding their most widely attended meeting to date.
Attended the meeting in addition to TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu were Commerce Taskforce Chair Güler Sabancı, Employment
Taskforce Chair Ali Koç, Finance Taskforce Chair Hüsnü Özyeğin, Anti-Corruption
Taskforce Chair Ayhan Zeytinoğlu and SME Taskforce Chair Melih Yurter.
B20 Turkey Chair M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that CEOs of 570
companies, 290 of them foreign, are attending meetings in Antalya.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they’ve received requests for invitations from 1600
companies, similar to the Ankara Summit, however limitations dictated by
lodging and meeting venue capacities as well as security have the number of
attendees have remained at this level.
Reporting that they’ve conducted 12 great meetings on 5 continents
throughout their B20 activities, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they’ve summarized 1,900
their page report into 19 articles. Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the number of
active companies have been raised to 600 from 200 during Australia’s term.
- Taskforce chairs spoke about
their efforts
Commerce Taskforce Chair Güler Sabancı reported that they’ve been
working with over 100 members in 25 countries in order have more countries sign
the agreement to facilitate international commerce. Stating that 51 countries
have signed the agreement, Sabancı reported that they project 107 countries
will have signed the agreement during 2016’s first half.
Employment Taskforce Chair Ali Koç touched on such issues as increasing
opportunities in employment, preventing youth and women’s unemployment as well
as stating that they are discussing whether the effects of technology and
innovation are beneficial or harmful in regards to employment. Stating that
they’ve been working closely with syndicates, Koç stressed the importance of
dialogue.
Finance Taskforce Chair Hüsnü Özyeğin stated that the most significant
problems faced by SMEs is the difficulty of access to financial tools. Özyeğin
stressed the need for reducing financial costs of SMEs.
Anti-Corruption Taskforce Chair Ayhan Zeytinoğlu underlined their
suggestions in regards to the use of digital technology, “We believe that
acting on our suggestions will increase global trade by 2%.”
SME Taskforce Chair Melih Yurter reported that they’ve focused on 3 of
their suggestions to be relayed to G20 leaders. Yurter stated that they put
great importance on the establishment of the World SME Forum Foundation and
that this foundation will be the global voice of SMEs.