21.01.2019 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech at the TOBB Turkey Economic Council's opening held at the Twin TOBB Towers with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and various ministers, stated that a bold and new investment move would bring Turkey to the fore in global competition. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “This wheel will get over this bump. Allah willing, we will continue on our path. Together, we will move Turkey towards rapid growth.”
The
Turkey Economy Council hosted by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu was
attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Vice President Fuat Oktay; Family,
Labor and Social Services Minister Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Minister of Energy and
Natural Resources, Fatih Dönmez, Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak,
Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk, Minister of Industry and Technology
Mustafa Varank, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli as well
as Minister of Trade Ruhsar Pekcan. The meeting was held at the TOBB Twin
Towers Conference Hall with the participation of Chamber Presidents, Presidents
of OIZs and many business people. Representatives of the business community had
the opportunity to share their problems and solution proposals with President
Erdoğan and the Ministers.
TOBB
President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech, expressed his gratitude to
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for standing by the business community since the
first Turkey Economy Council in 2003 and his support for the business world.
Stating
that the business world broke records in employment and investment in 2017,
Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that they are ready to do the same in 2019.
Hisarcıklıoğlu, who asked Erdoğan to continue his support for the private
sector, said, “Presidents of Chambers and Commodity Exchange Presidents from 81
provinces and 160 counties who are opinion leaders are present in this hall.
They have been working busily since July. They collected the problems of their provinces
and counties and prepared recommendations. They have identified all the economic
difficulties in their local areas, thus the country as a whole. Thank you for
your work. We classify these on the provincial level and in regards to the
relevant ministries. After the Council, we will relay them all to you and to each
of the relevant public institutions.”
- Morale for the business world
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The biggest incentive for the business is to
see the government stand by it. We believe that under your leadership, in every
issue we bring to the agenda, will be addressed as it has always been. We have
seen examples of this the past months.
With
the increase of short working allowance and minimum wage support, you have
reduced the burden on our companies.
In
order to support the domestic market, you have made VAT and SCT reductions in 4
sectors. Due to the high interest rate of the banks, you offered loans to SMEs
at a rate of 1.54% per month. You have provided the removal of a serious burden
such as the pasture fund. You have recognized the right to liquidate and
transfer to public contractors. You have launched state-funded commercial
receivables insurance, which we have been asking for many years, which will
bring great convenience to commercial life. The project which will ensure public-private
sector cooperation through vocational high schools in 81 cities will be
implemented. I would like to thank the ministers with us again for their
efforts to this end.”
Stating
that, according to the World Bank's Doing Business Report, Turkey is among the top
10 countries with the most reforms implemented in 2018, Hisarcıklıoğlu reported
that, in regards to the business and investment climate, Turkey has moved up 17
places from 60th ranking to 43rd, placing the highest yet
in its history.
- Consultation with banks
Under
the leadership of President Erdoğan, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated good news of the
government's steps supporting employment, trade and industry have graced every
sector with increased the morale and enthusiasm for the business world.
“In
the last 3 months, TOBB has achieved another first. Together with the banks we
traveled all over Anatolia.
We
convened with traders and industrialists from 81 provinces. We saw that the
biggest problem of SMEs is the shortage of cash. There is great difficulty in
accessing finance. High credit interest rates are plaguing the real sector. We are
bereft of the fruits of our labor. We cannot invest, nor can we increase our
business volume. In this environment, your sensitivity and fight against high
interest is giving us strength and morale. We have given you the first and most
concrete contribution to your call on this subject. TOBB, Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges have pooled all of their resources. To date, we have
provided Respite Credits to our SMEs with the lowest interest rate applied to
commercial loans in our country. About 100,000 SMEs have utilized approximately
12 billion TRY in low-interest loans. In your words, we have made an innovation
in finance.”
Brexit
troubles in Europe; increasing bilateral tensions such as USA-China and
Russia-Ukraine; the situation in Iraq and Syria; growing tendency towards protectionism
in global trade are all negatively affecting the flow of trade, investment and
funds in the world. We need to tighten the ranks domestically while the
conditions deteriorate internationally. Confidence and stability lies at the
foundations of all the gains Turkey has achieved in recent years. We know their
value very well. We must maintain trust and stability; let's start a new
breakthrough in the economy, strengthen the fires of reform. In particular, a brave
new investment move that will be launched under your leadership will bring us to
the fore in global competition. I am confident that this wheel will overcome this
bump; Allah willing, we will continue on our path. Together, we will move Turkey
towards rapid growth. We will continue to produce as the Turkish private sector;
tomorrow, as we have yesterday, to produce our country, to make it stronger,
richer, more prosperous.”
- President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
President
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began his speech at the Turkey Economy Council held at the
TOBB Twin Towers by expressing his hopes that the meeting would prove
beneficial for Turkey.
Stating
that the pulse of Turkey's economy beats in the hall housing the Council, Erdoğan
said, “We've built the economy so far in consultation with those in attendance
here. We never said, ‘That’s how we say it will be.’ Sometimes, even though we
disagreed, we did not hesitate to act on our consultations. ‘Nation and
homeland first’ is not a slogan but our philosophy of life.”
Erdoğan
stated that the participants of the meeting are also the opinion leaders of
their cities.
Noting
that Turkey grew 3.5 times in the last 16 years, President Erdoğan continued:
“We
have opened our entrepreneurs and investors to the world together with you. We
have brought technology, e-commerce and new sectors together with you to the
agenda of our country. We have improved the investment environment together
with you; short-term working allowance, maturity of premium debts of Social
Security Institution, minimum wage support, licensed warehousing support, VAT,
SCT rebates, credit restructuring, interest rate cuts, dissemination of SME
loans, solution of export closure problems, commercial vehicle leasing. We have
realized the relevant regulations and many other applications together with
you. We have also put into practice the measures necessary to overcome the
troubles that threaten our economy. Hopefully we will reach our 2023 goals
together with you.”
- “Together, we are Turkey, we are
the Turkish economy”
Erdoğan,
stating that they would make Turkey one of the world's 10 largest economies
with the business world, addressed the participants: “We will raise Turkey to
high income groups from upper-middle income group together with you. We will
entrust our 2053 and 2071 vision to new generations with you. Do not doubt that
we will listen to every demand concerning the interests of our country and do
what is necessary as we have always done.
“Together,
we are Turkey, we are the Turkish economy. The secret of success in politics
and in other areas is to believe, then to take action and then to continue
fighting with conviction. There is no way to move forward with non-believers.
With this belief, Allah willing, we will succeed.”