08.10.2021 Erzincan
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the Erzincan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Member Meeting.
In his speech,
Hisarciklıoğlu stated that they started to return to normal life with
vaccinations, “I would like to emphasize again on this occasion. Do not neglect
to be vaccinated. Encourage your family and employees to complete the
vaccination process. Let's not experience restrictions and closures again.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed
that with the lifting of the pandemic restrictions, the economy began to
revive, the industry caught up with the pre-pandemic and complaints began to
come in about difficulty of finding employees.
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that exports will be $220 billion by the end of the year. “The service sectors
have not received enough support, so a full recovery has not yet been achieved.
Trade and tourism are just recovering. In agriculture and livestock, high
increases in input costs such as fuel, fertilizer, feed, etc. are causing
trouble.”
Noting that they saw
that food, agriculture and livestock were a strategic sector during the
pandemic period, Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “First we must be a self-sufficient
country. Then we have to earn revenue by exporting to our surrounding
geography. Therefore, provinces like Erzincan are much more important now. We
must support food, agriculture and livestock without neglect. I am pleased to
follow that our Erzincan Chamber and Commodity Exchange acted with this vision.
During the pandemic for the last year and a half, we worked with the Chamber
and Commodity Exchange Presidents. By acting as a bridge between the business
world and the government, we conveyed the problems on the ground to the public
administration as quickly as possible. Solutions for most of the issues we have
raised in the past have come to life and continue to do so.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu said
that they provide tax and premium deferrals, discounts, short-term work
support, credit packages, income and rent subsidies.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that he is an interpreter for the
members of Erzincan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commodity
Exchange, and that he took their pulse and conveyed the problems and solution
proposals to the government. “They're both accredited, so 5-stars chamber and
exchange. Together, our Chamber and Commodity Exchange work to improve
agriculture, livestock and related industry. Agriculture-Based Specialized Feed
provides the establishment of organized industrial zone. With the Heifer
Production Center you have reduced dependence on the outside. I also see your
work in the field of social responsibility. As a city that is no stranger to disasters,
you provide 1 million lira in cash support with 5 truckloads of relief supplies
to the areas where the flooding occurred. Erzincan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, Akyazı elementary school and fine arts high school workshop building
and vocational education center, will provide lasting benefit. I would like to
thank Erzincan CCI President Ahmet Tanoğlu, Erzincan TB President Nadir Akar,
their administrations, boards and all their employees for all their great work which
added value to Erzincan.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu stated
that the problems are not over. “There are still problems with input costs,
interest rates and exchange rates. We follow them and relay them to the relevant
offices. Despair is not becoming in an entrepreneur. We have overcome many
difficulties and moved on. Hopefully, we'll put these troubles behind us. As I
have done so far, I will give you all the support we are able to muster from
Ankara, be your voice and continue to stand by you.”