Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized the importance of listening to the problems of SMEs the banks' general manager and deputy general managers and that this is the reason they’ve brought together the business community of the provinces and districts of the entire Thrace region together with the bankers. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The real sector and the financial sector are able to understand each other better in these meetings. We are developing common solutions. Both sectors need strengthening.”

- Access to funding channels should be kept open

Emphasizing that it is very important to keep the channels of access to finance open to SMEs, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu mentioned that there are positive developments in the economy in the recent period but that the economic recovery has not yet reached the desired point. Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they’ve relayed the demands from the chambers as TOBB to the government which has taken the first steps in the recovery of the markets by reducing the tax in 4 sectors. Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Short-time working allowance has been activated. The eligible taxpayers have been provided with a maturity of 60 months for SSI debts. Under the leadership of Ziraat and Halkbank, housing loan interest rates were reduced along with İşbank and Vakıfbank. Steps were taken in the trade receivables insurance. Legislation on the implementation of this has been scheduled for the next term. In the last 25 years we have overcome many troubles. The real sector and financial sector are joining and saying: We are dedicated to Turkey.”

TBB President Hüseyin Aydın thanked TOBB for the organization and stated that the real sector and financial sector had come together to talk about what they should do to grow and develop the country. Aydın stated that they would hold one-on-one meetings with companies after the meeting to find solutions.