Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu said at the meeting that a very important breakthrough in the investment incentive system has been implemented in the last period, “As you know, for years, we have been saying that the incentive system on every platform should be county-based, to no result. Mustafa Varank, our Minister, has undertaken a monumental step in this area and started county-based incentives for the first time.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu, at the opening of the meeting organized via videoconference, stated that the great importance Varank puts on the industry and his vision for the national technology move to elevate Turkey to a higher league gives them greater motivation to work and to look to the future in this critical period.

Noting that they are working closely with Minister Varank on Turkey's prestige project Turkey's Automobile Enterprise Group which aims to roll out the first car from the production line in 2022, Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they faced many difficulties, but Varank's support has been very important and valuable in the project reaching its launching point.

- County-based incentive system

Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that with Minister Varank, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development and Support Administration have also increased their service capacity, thus allowing many efforts to be implemented together.

Also recently, a very important breakthrough in the investment incentive system has been implemented, Hisarcıklıoğlu said:

“As you know, for years, we have been saying that the incentive system on every platform should be county-based, to no result. Mustafa Varank, our Minister, has undertaken a monumental step in this area and started county-based incentives for the first time. Of course, as with any new system, there may be areas where revision is needed, but the important thing was to show willing and take this step. Today we will consult with our Minister and his team on all these issues concerning our industry. I would also like to thank our Minister of Industry and Technology for his executive vision and innovation-focused approach, for his real sector-friendly working style and for showing that they stand by the real sector during these difficult days.”

- Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank

Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank said that by the end of the year, the Technology Oriented Industrial Move program will issue calls for mobility, chemistry and medical devices.

Minister Varank, attending the TOBB Consultation and Evaluation Meeting from Informatics Valley via videoconference, pointed out the importance of growth led by the private sector, noting that they are in consultation with the business world during the Covid-19 fight.

Varank pointed out that they have implemented a county-based incentive system in investment incentives, and gave the following information about regulation:

“We were getting intense demands from the field in this direction. We have updated the socio-economic development indices of all our provinces and districts. We took into account 52 indicators for cities and 32 indicators for counties. Our 263 less developed counties have been awarded more support than they have in the past. With the new system, investments in underdeveloped districts of cities will benefit from support for a sub-region. If these investments are made in the OIZs of that district, they will benefit directly from the 2 sub-region incentives. Thus, more investment will be encouraged to go to relatively disadvantaged districts, employment will increase and economic life will be revived.”

After the speeches, chamber presidents conveyed their questions to Minister Varank.