Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

In his speech, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that Turkey has a target of enrichment and enrichment depends on entrepreneurship. Hisarcıklıoğlu said “Entrepreneurs are Turkey’s richness. You are as rich as the number of your entrepreneurs. As TOBB, we established young and woman entrepreneurship councils in order to act as role models for young and woman entrepreneurs. They are leading our youth and women in Turkey.”

 

Hisarcıklıoğlu continued his speech addressing to people of Adana:

 

“Anatolia learned industry in Adana. When you look at rich people in Turkey, you will see that all of them had passed by Adana. Therefore, you need to appreciate your province. There is abundance, industry, and tourism in Adana. People from Adana need to meet in a common ground, act together and set a target.”

 

- Emphasis on informal economy

 

Hisarcıklıoğlu drew attention to informal economy and said:

 

“If we want democracy, we need to work together to end informal economy. Democracy means questioning. If we cannot question, we cannot talk about democracy. As the president of Turkish business world, I want the informal economy to end more than any other occupational group.

 

As long as there is informal economy, people will have problems expressing their rights and wants. They look for intermediaries to express their rights, fearing that something may happen to them. But there is law in Turkey. Therefore, we should be the ones who want formal economy the most.”

 

-Election period and state expenditures

 

Reminding that the election period has started, Hisarcıklıoğlu suggested avoiding from initiatives that will increase state expenditures.

 

Emphasizing that state expenditures will be covered by either tax or debt, Hisarcıklıoğlu continued:

 

“Do not request things from the government that will increase the state expenditure. If you want to increase the state expenditure, be ready to pay high taxes. One of the factors that trigger informal economy is high tax rates. This also causes unfair competition.”

 

-Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek

 

Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek said Turkey is a country that works hard for its livelihood and there would not be a current account deficit problem if there was not an energy import of 40 to 50 billion dollars.

 

Şimşek proposed a careful analysis of the tax burden among the OECD countries and said:

 

“We exclude the minimum wage worker from tax. A minimum wage worker with 4 children and whose spouse is not working does not pay tax. A minimum wage worker with two children pays 2 percent tax. The tax of a single minimum wage worker decreased from 11 percent to 5 percent.

 

The VAT in Turkey is 18 percent. However, in education, health, many food products and tourism VAT is 8 percent. Among the 27 countries in the European Union, only 3 countries have a VAT rate under 18 percent.”

 

 

-A new page in tax

 

Minister Şimşek drew attention to the restructuring of some receivables and said “This arrangement is not an amnesty. We open a new page in tax. I call this restructuring, not amnesty. Because I believe that amnesties are unfair.”

 

-A new strategy for fighting against informal economy will be signed soon

 

Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek said “We are working for a more effective battle. In this context, a new strategy for fighting against informal economy will be published with the signature of our Prime Minister.”

 

Minister Şimşek reminded the speech of TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and said that nobody needs to fear from tax audition.

 

-Adana Chamber of Commerce President Şaban Baş

 

Adana Chamber of Commerce President Şaban Baş thanked to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek for ensuring the significant success in coming out of the economic crisis, and to TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu for supporting them during this period.

 

-Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zihni Aldırmaz

 

Acting Mayor Zihni Aldırmaz congratulated tax record-breakers and exporters and said that they support people who increase employment and investment.

 

-Adana Tax Administration Chairman Serdar Aksoy

 

Chairman Serdar Aksoy emphasized the importance of investment, employment and production as well as tax and thanked all businessmen making investments and contributing to employment.

 

In the ceremony that took place in Seyhan Otel, tax record-breakers, successful exporters and businessmen with highest official registrations received their awards after the speeches.                  

 

Adana Governor İlhan Atış, Adana District Treasurer Tamer Utkucu, President of Adana Chamber of Industry Ümit Özgümüş, President of Adana Commodity Exchange Muammer Çalışkan and other guests attended the ceremony.

 

After the award ceremony, TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek visited the courses opened under the Ability ’10 employment project and made observations in the classrooms.

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