13.07.2021 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said that legal legislation on minimum wage support is still not complete, adding, “We expect this issue to end without further delay.”
TOBB Turkey Sector
Councils Consultation Meeting was held in TOBB Conference Hall with the
participation of Trade Minister Mehmet Muş.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that the Sector Councils include the 40 largest companies in each sector and
that there are representatives of public institutions related to that sector in
each council.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
in this way, the sector councils bring together the private sector and the
public administration, and that the work of the heads of the sector councils
and members ensures that the sectoral problems are solved.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that a comprehensive study has been carried out for the meeting for a week.
“The most prominent problems in each sector and the proposals for solving them
are put together. We will sort and communicate all of this to the relevant
institutions on a per-case basis. I believe that with this valuable work of our
friends, we will give new impetus to public-private cooperation and support the
growth of the economy.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu listed
some of their demands as follows: “The legal legislation on minimum wage
support is still not completed and implementation has not started. We expect
this matter to be concluded without further delay. In the trade register,
branch registration expenses became more expensive than starting a new company
and became a major financial burden. There's a need for lowering costs in this
case. There are problems with the supply of raw materials. Export commitment
closures and additional time for internal processing permits are needed, as the
effects of the pandemic persist. Especially overtime wages in customs
transactions have become an important expense and reflect very negatively on
our exporters, an arrangement is required. For the EU Green Agreement, the
public and private sectors work together to establish a common policy.”
- Minister Muş: “We believe that the current account
deficit will fall off our country's agenda in the medium term”
Minister of Commerce
Mehmet Muş pointed out that the meeting has contributed greatly to the
country's economy in the past 15 years, and stated that they attach importance
to consultation with representatives of the business world, especially TOBB
members, in many of their studies and will continue this consultation in the
future.
Stating that they aim
to establish a fast, easy, bureaucratic burden-free, safe and sustainable trade
environment in Turkey, Muş said, “Today I care very much to hear the opinions
and suggestions of our sector representatives in order to turn the wheels
faster in our economy and increase the added value produced.”
Explaining that the
growth realized with the contribution of exports and investments will make it
possible for future generations to live in a more prosperous country, Muş said
that for many years, with growth in the country, one of the important agenda
items is the issue of the current account deficit.
Noting that the current
account deficit is significantly related to energy imports, Muş reminded that
in this sense, very important discoveries were made in the Black Sea. “We
anticipate that other good news will come in the coming period. We believe that
the current account deficit will fall off our country's agenda in the medium
term when we consider the growth supported by value-added exports and
investments by bringing resources here into our economy. I hope that with the
steps we have taken, you will see that Turkey will not have a current account
deficit problem on the agenda of future generations. We will take this current
account deficit issue off Turkey's agenda.”
Stating that Turkey's
economy is fully integrated with the world, Muş stated that there is an
economic structure in the country where trade is done reliably, quickly and
easily.
Minister Muş emphasized
that they attach great importance to the opinions and suggestions of the
business world, “I, as Minister of Commerce, am ready to do everything I can to
solve your problems. We identify the problems of which sectors one by one and
take swift steps to solve them.”
Noting that they will
be very sensitive in their incentives for production and exports, Muş said,
“Our aim is to pave the way for our investors, entrepreneurs, to produce more,
to exports more, to create more jobs and to create a productive Turkey. We will
fight hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder with our business world to achieve
this goal.”