06.10.2023 Tokat
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the Tokat province / district Chamber / Stock Exchange Joint consultation meeting.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said
that Tokat brought 6 sheikh-ul islams to the Ottoman Empire and that the Roman
emperor Caesar wrote his famous letter “I came, I saw, I counquered,” in
Tokat-Zile.
Stating that Tokat has
19 products with geomarker registration certificates and 12 products are
waiting in line, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that Niksar Ayvaz water, a 1400-year-old
source of healing, is also an important value.
Stating that Tokat
Airport has been opened, Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that Tokat will become the
shining star of Anatolia with its agriculture and trade volume.
Stating that whoever
feeds the world in the future will be the leader of the world, Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “There is only one substance in the world that cannot be produced, soil.
Therefore, we should never neglect agriculture and animal husbandry and take
care of our lands. Tokat also has a high industrial potential. Our 2 Tokat
companies took place in the 500 largest industrial organizations.”
Stating that they had
previously built an Anatolian high school in Zile as TOBB, Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that they would build 4 new schools in the center and Erbaa, Niksar and
Turhal upon the request of the chambers and stock exchanges.
- “We planned exports of Togg next year as well”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
emphasized that they made the dream of producing a national automobile, which
was left unfinished 60 years ago, a reality and continued as follows:
“We are the country
that exports the most vehicles to Europe, but we do this not with our own
brand, but with other brands. In 2017, at the TOBB General Council, our
President said to me, ‘I am looking for a patriot to build Türkiye’s
automobile.’ I said, ‘As long as you are with us, we will do it.’ Praise Allah,
with the support of our President, we were able to build the factory, which is
the dream of the Turkish nation, which is entirely the own property of the
Turkish nation, and to drive the car.
We planned to produce
28,000 units for this year, but we received 6 times the demand. This showed the
interest and trust of our nation. Thank God, we started to see Togg on the
roads of Tokat. We have planned to export Togg next year. Thus, we will carry
our flag to the world and we will be proud of this together. It is a source of
pride and honor for all of us to have succeeded in this initiative, of which
our community is a founding partner.”
- “Inflation accounting must be applied”
Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that he is someone who constantly travels around Anatolia and constantly
listens to companies and sectors, and that the contraction in SME loans in
particular has a negative impact on the whole country and sectors with a chain
effect:
“This needs to be taken
care of. Commercial loans should not be cut suddenly and drastically, and loan
interest rates should not increase excessively. In particular, our SMEs should
be given Credit Guarantee Fund (KGF) collateralized loans with favorable
conditions. As you know, KGF is your institution, we vouch for our members. We
are already unique in the world with this feature. There is no other chamber
and exchange system that vouches for its members.
Another need for reform
is related to the tax system. We have a very complex tax system. And we are
making it more and more complicated every year. We make life more difficult for
millions of taxpayers because of a few bad examples of abuse. And this
increases the number of tax disputes. We need to change this approach.
Inflation accounting must be implemented. On the public finance side, the fight
against the budget deficit should not only focus on tax increases. Serious
savings should also be made in public expenditures. We are following many more
issues such as these. We personally convey them to our President and relevant ministers.
Now we will also convey the problems and demands that you will convey.”
Stating that there are
problems but they have the will and the means to overcome them, Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “We have achieved many improvements by acting in unity and solidarity.
Problems cannot be solved by fighting. It is solved with common sense and
dialog. When we are united and together, Allah gives grace and abundance. As
long as we do not marginalize each other. Let’s not exclude anyone because of
their ideas, beliefs and opinions.”
Fatih Gökdere, Chairman
of the Board of Directors of Tokat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated
that they spread the brotherhood between the chambers and exchanges in the
province to Anatolia, that they signed a sister chamber protocol with Kayseri
Chamber of Commerce, and that Tokat Commodity Exchange is a sister exchange
with Samsun Commodity Exchange.
Stating that they are
working for a new service building that will meet their needs, Gökdere said,
“Although there are direct flights from our new airport to İstanbul,
unfortunately we do not have flights to other provinces. We have held a series
of meetings with Pegasus Airlines in this sense. Hopefully, we will ensure that
direct flights from Tokat to İzmir will start in the coming period.”