20.03.2018 İstanbul
Improvement of the Investment Environment Reform - Building Permits, Land Registry, the Registry and Electricity Supply Workshop took place with the opening speeches by Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mevlüt Uysal and the World Bank Turkey Director Johannes Zutt.
TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, stated that they’ve convened to improve
the investment environment in Turkey for both domestic and foreign investors
and companies.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said there can be no wealth, employment or livelihood without
investment, “We all want for Turkey to reach its goals, to attract more investment,
to be richer. We are stronger together; we know that we can move Turkey forward
even further. We started this work in August, a day after Mr. Recep Akdağ was
appointed Deputy Prime Minister Responsible for the Investment Environment. We’ve
spoken about how important a move it would be to move Turkey up in the Doing
Business index. We also wanted this for the Turkish private sector. Under the
auspices of the Deputy Prime Minister we have carried out over 1000 hours of
work culminating in 2 law regarding the investment environment consisting of
100 odd articles.”
Stating that many unsolvable issues in Turkey have been resolved in 15
years, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that, the simplification of building permits and
land processes, changes in the execution-bankruptcy law, one-stop-shop company
establishment are all revolutionary work.
Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that the construction industry has contributed
a lot of job opportunities by feeding about 200 sub-sectors and that it is providing
employment to thousands of people.
Noting that the construction sector is at the forefront of Turkey’s locomotive
industries, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The construction sector accounted for 7.9% of
total employment in 2017. Again in 2017, a building licenses for 1.3 million
apartments were issued. Solving the problems of this sector is the most
important contribution we can make to the economy of our country, to reduce the
bureaucracy that our firms have suffered. Before this reform, according to
surveys by the World Bank's private sector, 18 procedures were required to get
a construction permit in Turkey. Twelve of these 18 procedures were handled by
various branches within municipalities. We worked with ministries,
municipalities and the World Bank, to determine how we can combine them and shorten
procedures. The Deputy Prime Minister and our Ministry of Interior will explain
the details of the reform.”
The TOBB President stated that once these reforms reflect onto Turkey it
will be possible to reach their goal of entering the top 20 in Doing Business
Index.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that construction sector procedures will be
greatly facilitated, “Efficiency will increase, energy loss will be prevented.
As TOBB, we are very pleased with this process in the last 6 months. Deputy Prime
Minister Recep Akdağ, I would like to thank all the political parties that have
contributed to the legislation in the past and to the President of the Republic
of Turkey and Prime Minister on behalf of the Turkish private sector. May Allah
bless these good works. We believe that the most beneficent of people are those
who are beneficent unto other. Today, we are enjoying the rightful pride of
doing good works for our nation, our government and our entrepreneurs. We will
continue to work on behalf of the Turkish private sector in every task our
government gives us.”
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that they are not actually
finished, adding, “The support and follow-up of our mayors esteemed are very
important in the implementation of these processes in the municipalities. I
will follow this matter closely with you, I believe it will do great for
progress in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index Report for Turkey. As
TOBB, we will work with all other private sector organizations, especially TIM,
TÜSİAD, MUSIAD, YASED, DEİK, Contractors' Union and IMKON, and do our part.”
- Deputy Prime Minister Recep
Akdağ
Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdag stated that the main purpose of
today's meeting is improving the ease of doing business in Turkey, as well as
metropolitan municipalities’ contribution to this process.
Explaining that the necessary legislative arrangements were made with
ongoing communication with municipalities, Akdağ stated that they worked
together with the municipalities in carrying out the legislation.
- Other speakers
World Bank Turkey Country Director Johannes Zutt stated that the Turkish
government has been making an amazing effort for the improvement of the
investment environment in the last few months.
Zutt emphasized that the reforms will be useless unless they are
implemented in the private sector and that TOBB has mobilized the private
sector to this end.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mevlüt Uysal stated that Turkish
contractors, who rank second in the world, are only able to receive construction
permits after very long durations in Turkey.
Uysal reported that the 12 of the 18 total transactions needed for
construction permits, which needed to be completed via municipalities has been
lowered to 5, and that this process has been completed for the most part
without any problems