ANKARA - International Monetary Fund (IMF) delegation headed by IMF Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam visited on Tuesday the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Chairman Rifat Hisarciklioglu and officials.
Following the meeting which lasted for one and a half hours, IMF officials told the A.A correspondent that they would make a statement after the delegation wrapped up its contacts in Turkey at the weekend.
IMF Permanent Representative to Turkey Odd Per Brekk also attended the meeting.
HISARCIKLIOGLU: ''WE TOLD IMF DELEGATION IF GOVERNMENT BRINGS TAX FOR PROVIDING SOURCE IN FOLLOWING PERIOD, TOBB IS AGAINST IT''
Hisarciklioglu said that if the government brought tax in its search for providing source in the following period; they, as TOBB, were against it and added that they conveyed their view on that issue to International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the meeting.
Hisarciklioglu met with IMF delegation headed by IMF Turkey Desk Chief Reza Moghadam and the meeting lasted for one and a half hours.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said that they informed IMF delegation about problems of Turkish economy and private sector and noted, ''we informed the delegation about relation between Turkish lira and foreign exchange rates and search for source in the following period. We told the delegation that if there is tax, TOBB is against it. Sources should be taken from where they were used.''
Touching on increase in tax burden for 15 years, Hisarciklioglu said, ''we said in the meeting that it is impossible for Turkish private sector and Turkish people to bear providing a new source.''
Hisarciklioglu said that another important issue was continuation of constructive reforms and noted that they told IMF delegation that tax reform package should continue to take unregistered economy under registration and inflation accounting should be adopted.
Stating that the most important part which was neglected of the program was ''production and employment'', he said that they conveyed their views on that issue to the delegation.
When asked whether or not IMF brought onto the agenda search for source, Hisarciklioglu said, ''no, we brought onto the agenda tax burden in the meeting. We told them that we cannot bear such a burden. Sources should be taken from where they were used. Mistakes which were made in the past should not be made again. People should not assume a populist attitude on the issue.''
Hisarciklioglu stressed that what was important was to reach macro-economic targets and it would bring economic prosperity to 68 million people in Turkey and noted that TOBB has not demanded any source so far.
Stating that there was important recovery in figures currently when compared to 2001, when they looked at the economic picture of Turkey, he said that the important thing was to fulfil constructive reforms.
Hisarciklioglu said that process of re-structuring of public sector, financial discipline and tax reform should be continued and stated that additional source should be provided by saving money not by tax measures.
(EÖ-AÖ) 15.07.2003