26.12.2018 Ankara
Speaking at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chambers of Commerce Joint Council meeting, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “As the chambers and exchanges community will continue to work and produce more in order to have the steps taken reflect on the economy and to fulfill our every responsibility.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
in his speech at the opening ceremony of the TOBB Council of Chambers of
Commerce and Industry and Chambers of Commerce Council Joint Meeting with the
participation of Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan, said that the decisions have
been made in the recent period to reduce the burdens on the business world and
open the way for the economy.
Stated
that a series of good news have been delivered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan,
Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the importance of Trade Receivable Insurance for
years.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
pointed out that extraordinary developments were taking place in the economy
and that the increases in foreign currency and interest rates did not reflect
the real situation of the country's economy.
Stating
that they expect the troubles to be behind them with the policies enacted by
the government, Hisarcıklıoğlu continued:
“The
fluctuations in exchange rates and interest rates declined compared to August.
The money markets became more stable. Of course, here, the duty and
responsibility falls to us, the private sector. First of all, we must maintain our
production and employment capacity. We should focus not on risks but on
opportunities, on exporting goods. We must continue to move cautiously but
decisively, without lowering morale. As the chambers and commodity exchanges community,
we have pitched in and have shown solid national solidarity. I hope all these
efforts will give results and our country will enter a period of brisk growth.”
Stating
that more work remains to be done and they will discuss these during the
meeting, Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that Turkey is a great nation with power to
overcome any problem.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that the difficult days will pass, “We will overcome this bump in the
road as well; no one should doubt that. We will will continue to work and
produce more in order to have the steps taken reflect on the economy and to fulfill
our every responsibility.”
- Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan
In
her speech, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan stated that they would put the
electronic cheques and bill system into practice as soon as possible.
Minister
Pekcan, speaking at the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey
(TOBB), Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chambers of Commerce Joint
Council meeting, stated that the global economy is undergoing important
transformations in the fields of trade, technology and legislation.
Pekcan
pointed out that it is imperative to develop the right policies, to focus on
alternative markets and new generation technologies during this period; that the
world production has undergone a digital transformation process and that this
transformation should not be missed.
Pekcan
reported that the Ministry of Commerce is continuing to work to develop new
policies to better understand these changes and provided information about the
projects they have implemented.
Pekcan
emphasized that they carefully examine the demands made by the business world
and produce solutions to the problems quickly and they established Consultative
Council with non-governmental organizations. Reporting that 903 requests have
been conveyed to the Ministry since the day they took office, Pekcan stated
that, of these 455 have been addressed while 342 which are not within the remit
of the ministry are being followed up on.
- “Our goal is paper-free customs”
Pekcan,
also pointed out the work regarding foreign trade and customs, stating that
they have accomplished their short-term goals as a part of their 100-day action
program.
Reporting
that they plan on being able to provide access to distribution channels to
companies via Turkey Trade Centers to be established in 35 new locations in the
coming years, Pekcan stated that “Export Support Offices” have been established
with TOBB in 19 provinces and 28 chambers.
Pekcan
stated that they have prepared action plans by sector and state with China,
Russia, India and Mexico, Africa and Latin America as target countries, “Eximbank
has financed 26 of every 100 USD of exports in 2018. Our goal is to raise it to
27 USD. In addition, we have increased the SME share of Eximbank from 57% in
2017 to 70.4% at present and 11,000 companies benefit from Eximbank's
opportunities presently.
- TOBB Chamber of Commerce Council
President Gürsel Baran
Ankara
Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Board of Directors and the TOBB Chambers of Commerce
Council Chairman Gürsel Baran stated that it has been a difficult year for
Turkey and stated that Turkey, which has grown briskly in the last 15 years,
becoming an island of stability in its tumultuous region, is the target of
economic attacks.
He
stated that the currency-based attacks led to an increase in foreign exchange
and interest rates. Baran stated that the storm has been calmed and the markets
have stabilized due to the measures taken by the government.