TÜMSİAD Comments on Economic Measures Package

The Covid-19 pandemic caused by coronavirus threatens human health while inflicting significant damage on national economies. TÜMSİAD Chairman Yaşar Doğan stated that in addition to the government's economic relief decisions, they have prepared a relief package consisting of 12 items. In his statement, Doğan said, "The pandemic has human health, economic and social dimensions, and the process contains considerable uncertainties within itself. If we act with unity and solidarity in this environment of uncertainty, we are fully confident that we will overcome the crisis." Not only our country but the entire world faces a pandemic unprecedented in history. The Covid-19 pandemic caused by coronavirus threatens human health while inflicting significant damage on national economies. Yaşar Doğan, Chairman of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TÜMSİAD), released a press statement regarding this challenging period. The statement emphasized that it is of great importance to closely monitor and carefully implement the relief measures taken by our state to minimize the possible effects of the pandemic; to support the fight in cooperation with official institutions; to reject speculative approaches during this sensitive period; and to act in a planned and measured manner rather than hastily in panic.

PEOPLE AND HEALTH FIRST

Reminding that the first coronavirus case in Turkey was confirmed on 11 March, Doğan said, "Our government's early interventions in combating coronavirus played a major role in keeping potential losses to a minimum. We are going through a critical period that we have not experienced before, both as a country and as a world." Emphasizing the economic measures implemented alongside the precautions taken to prevent the spread of the virus, Doğan said, "People and health come first. In addition to this, our government announces relief packages that we consider very important and are constantly updated so that the country's economy emerges from this challenging period with minimal damage. The announced packages address the economy in the most general way in terms of supply, demand, employment and taxes. However, the pandemic has human health, economic and social dimensions, and the process contains considerable uncertainties within itself. If we act with unity and solidarity in this environment of uncertainty, we are fully confident that we will overcome the crisis," he said.

HERE ARE THE 12 ITEMS

Doğan continued: "As TÜMSİAD, together with our board of management and economists, we have reviewed the period we are experiencing. TÜMSİAD is the voice of industrialists and business people, particularly SMEs. With this responsibility, we have prepared a proposal package of 12 items in addition to the economic measures announced during the pandemic period. We respectfully submit these proposals to the attention of our government and the public." 1. Priority to be given to reimbursement of incentives and subsidies, 2. Reimbursement of 90 percent of tax refunds, particularly VAT refunds, within 1 week to taxpayers, 3. Transfer and assignment to banks or state of receivables from public administrations in lieu of debts to banks/state, 4. Deferral of SGK payments by 6 months, 5. Waiver of interest on existing tax, SGK, administrative fines and other debts, and restructuring in 9-12-18 installments at the rate of PPI-CPI, 6. Granting of additional time to those who missed 6736-7143 installments, 7. Deferral of application of IBC provisions and CBTL provisions by 6-12 months, 8. Addition of sectors not included in the list despite being within the scope of Force Majeure, (such as manufacturers of travel bags, suitcases, luggage, etc.) 9. Removal of sector discrimination if possible, 10. Temporary reduction of VAT rate to 1 percent on food, clothing and health expenditures, 11. Deferral of TÜRKSAT payments of TV, radio and other broadcasting organizations, 12. All support and measures are announced from different institutions and different places of the state. A website should be created where everything related to medical, economic and incentive matters is announced from a single place.