ANKARA - Justice Minister and government spokesman Cemil Cicek said late on Wednesday also the National Program should be released in parallel to the European Union (EU) Associate Partnership Document, adding, ''the national program will be announced in mid-June.''
Following the meeting of Council of Ministers which lasted nearly two hours, Cicek made a statement.
Recalling that the Council of Ministers convened after the meeting of the National Security Council so it did not last long, Cicek said that two issues had been discussed at the meeting.
Noting that State Minister Ali Babacan had informed the cabinet members on latest economic developments, Cicek said that according to information given by Babacan, negative impacts of Iraq war on the economy had been removed totally, and economic revival had started. Stating that this situation was pleasing, Cicek stressed that decreasing trend in interest rates continued and they expected interest rates to decrease more.
Recalling that interest rates had lastly decreased below 49 percent, Cicek said that there had been 4 percent decrease in interest rates in last 15 days.
Cicek said that according to information given by Babacan, increase in exports continued, which was another pleasing issue, adding, ''exports rose 34 percent this year when compared to last year.'' Cicek said decrease in U.S. dollar currency had negative effects on exports.
''Both interest rates and U.S. dollar issue are directly related with autonomous Central Bank. We hope that the Central Bank would make an assessment by taking into consideration this decrease in U.S. dollar currency and latest situation of interest rates,'' he said.
Noting that they had started to get positive results from the tax peace, Cicek said that 908 trillion Turkish liras (TL) had been collected through tax peace as of end of April.
Recalling that discussions with the IMF on the fifth review of IMF-backed economic program had started, Cicek said that under this, structural arrangements were important. Stressing that several bills should be adopted in June rapidly, Cicek said that this was important for both structural program and encouragement of foreign capital.
Cicek said that collective agreements in public sector had also been taken up at the Council of Ministers meeting.
Stressing that collective agreements would be finalized this year, Cicek said that a total of 147 collective agreements would be signed this year, which would cover 394,316 workers.
Later, Cicek answered questions of reporters.
Replying a question which said, ''the Justice Ministry presented the sixth EU adjustment package to the Prime Ministry. When will it be opened to signature?'' Cicek said, ''the EU associate partnership document was announced. In parallel to this, also the national program should be released. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Turkey's Secretariat General for the EU are working on it, and probably the new national program will appear in mid-June. New legal arrangements will come onto the agenda under the new national program, of course.''
''Thursday is an important day. The Parliamentary General Assembly will convene in a session to hold general discussion on the EU and the Prime Minister will explain his opinions,'' he said.
(MS) 29.05.2003