01.03.2019 Artvin
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech at the Sarp Customs Gate Opening Ceremony said, “If there is trade, there is money. There is prosperity if there is money. Our dream is to turn the trade routes back to this region. We this is the dream we pursue,” and that by renovating the Sarp Border Gate they are a step closer to turning this dream into reality.
Sarp
Customs Gate, modernized by the Customs and Tourism Enterprises Co. Inc. (GTİ
Co. Inc.), a subsidiary of TOBB, was opened to service with a ceremony attended
by TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan,
Georgia Finance Minister Ivane Matchavarian, Georgian Minister of Economy and
Sustainable Development George Kobulia, GTİ Co. Inc. Chairman Arif Parmaksız, TİM
President İsmail Gülle, TESK President Bendevi Palandöken and regional chamber
/ commodity exchange presidents. President of the Republic of Turkey Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan also took part in the ceremony via videoconference.
TOBB
President Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that the economy operates on a basic rule.
“If there is trade, there is money. There is prosperity if there is money. Our
dream is to turn the trade routes back to this region. We this is the dream we
pursue. By renovating the Sarp Border Gate we are a step closer to turning this
dream into reality. This will be the gateway of the Black Sea and then Anatolia
to the Caucasus and Central Asia.”
Stating
that they always acted with this vision as TOBB, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We have
realized a first in the world with the positive approach and approval of our
government. We started to modernize the land customs gates with
build-operate-transfer model. In doing so, we did not charge a single lira to
the state. On the contrary, the government's tax revenues increased
exponentially thanks to more efficient and voluminous border gates.”
Reminding
that they have renewed 10 border crossings, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that the gates they
modernized had reduced wait times by half and that the volume of passage
increased by 4 times.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
emphasized that they invested 1.382 billion TRY as the Chamber-Exchange
community for all these reasons, “So we saved the state from spending that much
money. From the revenue obtained from these gates, we paid 605 million TRY of
tax to the government. That means that as the Chamber-Exchange community, we
have provided 2 billion TRY to our government's coffers. Not only the government,
but also our private sector, our members, have benefited as well.
Thanks
to the modernization, the wait times of goods carrying trucks were shortened.
According to a public survey, our private sector saved 410 million TRY per annum
from freight costs. In other words, every year, our country's industrialist,
merchant, entrepreneur have gained over 410 million TRY in savings.
Stating
that their practice, achieved through public-private cooperation, is widely
admired throughout the world, the TOBB President explained that it is being
pointed out as an example by the United Nations around the world and all the
world that if they wish to make border crossings faster and safer, it should be
done as Turkey has done it. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they have presented this
model to neighboring countries and shared their experiences.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated Turkey has jumped in logistics thanks to the modernization of the customs
gate, said, “When we started these investments, in 2010 we ranked 39th
the World Bank Logistics Index. After the modernization of the gates, we rose
to 34th place.”
Noting
that all this is done without spending a single lira from the state budget,
TOBB President said, “We have invested 155 million TRY to renew the Sarp
Customs Gate. The field area increased from 36,000 square meters to 44,000 square
meters and the platform number from 8 to 12. This border gate will be the
gateway of the Black Sea region to central Asia. Black Sea region will prosper,
Turkey will prosper, Georgia will prosper. As trade increases, friendship
relations will be strengthened. Political relations will be strengthened. With
our Georgian brothers, we will start to meet and talk more. So we will all win
together.”
- Trade Minister Pekcan
Minister
of Trade, Ruhsar Pekcan, said that they have realized the modernization of the
Sarp Border Gate, where Europe and Asia meet.
Pekcan
said, “The way to thrive in the new world order, to move up to the league of more
powerful economies, higher-income countries and spread prosperity to all
segments of society as well as leaving a stronger and brighter country for
future generations is through trade. Our work here is to facilitate and improve
trade, to modernize customs gates, to digitalize, make transparent and more
active.”
Pekcan
stating that as the ministry, the demands and needs of the traders are kept in
mind when working on reforms, said, “We are constantly consulting; opinions and
suggestions are evaluated. We are working together to remove the barriers to
trade whether you are an employer, an exporter; it is not important who we are,
what we do and how we do it is important. Therefore, we’ve all worked and
continue to do the best we can.”
Stating
that they always support the business world as the Ministry, Pekcan said, “We
will continually work to ensure that work is faster, easier, cheaper, more
reliable and more transparent at customs. We have taken serious steps on the
path to digitalization towards these goals. We'll go even further.”
- GTİ Co Inc. Chairman Arif
Parmaksız
Customs
and Tourism Enterprises (GTİ) A.Ş. Chairman Arif Parmaksız said that the Sarp
Customs Gate was modernized in 2009 and started to rebuild in 2016 in order to
increase the capacity due to the intensity of the passport-free pass.
- TİM President İsmail Gülle
TİM
President İsmail Gülle expressed his wishes that the customs gate would be
beneficial both to the region and to the two countries and to the Turkish
economy.