06.12.2019 Kocaeli
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, in his speech at the 12th Annual Above the Line Sectoral Performance Evaluation Award Ceremony organized by Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, said that companies should pay their taxes where they produce, that this is important for municipalities, which applies to tourism cities as well.
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
stating that he is late because of a YOİKK meeting with Vice President Fuat
Oktay and Ministers, said, “I'm so honored to be among you. I haven't been to
just two of these awards ceremonies. I'm getting morale from you here. I'm
giving the morale I've taken to Anatolia. There's a success story here, and I
tell you your accomplishments everywhere I go. I want them to follow your
example.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stressed that acting together brings success, “This is also very much present in
Kocaeli. You are the leader of vehicle production, chemical industry, and metal
industry of our country. Kocaeli also competes with countries in foreign trade.
With its foreign trade volume, Kocaeli outperforms 130 countries in the world. You
rank second in taxes paid and first in tax collected in Turkey.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that Kocaeli, besides all these, with employment and vocational
training, ports and OIZs, with their R&D, high-tech production, number of patents,
is one of Turkey's most successful provinces.
Reporting
that TOBB is working to facilitate things, and have implemented various projects,
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “By working with our government, we have put into practice
reforms which improve the business and investment environment in our country. We
ranked 43rd in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index (Doing Business)
last year, while this year we managed to move up to 33rd place. This
is the first time in our history that we've ranked so high. We, as TOBB, undertook
the coordination of the private sector in this business. We have developed
solutions to problems coming from you and our members and put them on the YOİKK
agenda. Now the goal is to be one of the top 20 countries; we are working for
this.”
Stating
that they’ve always dreamed of taking on vocational education with the Minister
of National Education, Hisarciklıoğlu said, “Our Chambers will match with a
vocational high school in every province, and they will have a say here. Our
school in Kocaeli is the İzmit Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School.
Kocaeli was already an exemplary city in vocational education throughout
Turkey. Thanks to this new cooperation, we will raise vocational education to
Kocaeli level all over Turkey.
On
the other hand, we have established TOBB MEYBEM to provide you with the fastest
service in the field of Vocational Qualification and Certification for our
brothers working in hazardous professions. Under the leadership of our Kocaeli
Chamber of Industry, Kocaeli conducted the most certifications.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
also mentioned the mediation system, and said that thanks to mediation, 65% of
worker-employer dispute cases resulted in agreements.
Hisarciklıoğlu
explaining that mediation and arbitration are used together in commercial
disputes and claims cases, stressed that commercial disputes will be concluded
in 5 months at the latest, and that the only thing that needs to be done is to include,
“TOBB Arbitration Board is authorized in case of disputes,” into contracts.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that the solution of unemployment is to increase the number of
entrepreneurs and said that they are working to support women entrepreneurship.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said women entrepreneurs are role models for young girls.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that there is nothing they can’t achieve with the public-private sector working
together hand in hand; with consultation and common cause, urging them to not
alienate each other.
Deputy
Trade Minister Gonca Yılmaz Batur pointed out that global trade is going
through a difficult period and countries are starting to act with a sense of
protectionism.
Referring
to US arrangements and treaties on trade and economic issues, Batur said, “The
effects of this are new action plans that we need to consider as deviations
directly in the direction of trade in the World Trade Organization. The World
Trade Organization announced its trade growth figure for 2019 at 3% at the
beginning of the year; now reduced to 1.2%. This is a very serious change.”
Batur,
reporting that 69 countries will have fully announced the export figure in
1.5-2 months, said, “These are the 69 largest and institutional economies.
Looking at the rankings of these 69 countries, 50 countries account for
negative growth. So his trade went backwards, the negative shrunk by 2.6%.
We're in the growth group. We're in the group that shows 19% plus value. In
that 19, our rate of increase is 7%, and we are in fifth place in terms of real
value, i.e. absolute increase value. This is very important, and it is the
industrialists, exporters and producers here today who have achieved this.”
Kocaeli
Governor Hüseyin Aksoy also stated that Kocaeli is the city at the heart of the
industry in Turkey, and that the city is one of the provinces that contribute
the most to Turkey's economy.
Kocaeli
Chamber of Industry Board of Directors President Ayhan Zeytinoğlu also
explained the city's place and importance in Turkish industry and thanked those
who contributed to its organization.