ANKARA - The law on acceleration of privatization process and inclusion of Turk Telekom and National Lottery Administration within the scope of privatization initiatives was issued in the Official Gazette and entered into law on Friday.
The law takes into consideration the decrease in the number of state ministers and it decreases the number of Supreme Board of Privatization's members to four. The Board will be headed by Prime Minister and composed of four ministers to be charged by the Prime Minister. The Board will give its decisions unanimously. Prime Minister can transfer his authorities about the law related to privatization applications to a minister whom he may charge.
Administrators of the public institutions which are within the scope of privatization can't be a party to privatization proceedings of these institutions directly or indirectly.
Regarding the evaluation of the assets of the institutions which are within the scope of privatization, the provision saying that ''at least three internationally accepted methods should be implemented'' was changed into ''at least two internationally accepted methods should be implemented.''
The law also makes amendment in the method of ''sealed-bid tenders''. If no result is taken from at least two tenders that were put out, then proposals will be received from those companies who are interested in privatization of a certain public institution regarding their commitments about investment, production, employment or technology production. Later the tenders will be submitted to Supreme Board of Privatization for approval.
The law brings arrangements regarding the condition of personnel who will transferred from the institutions that are within the scope of privatization to other public institutions.
Within this scope, a harmony is provided between the institutions regarding the personal rights of personnel and arrangements concerning financial rights are made. The law includes arrangements about preventing loss of rights in personal positions in the transferred institution.
With a temporary article added to law, personal rights of personnel, who are transferred from the institutions included in privatization, will be made parallel to the arrangement in the law and the rights of the personnel in personal positions are decided to continue three more years. The number of positions created for the personnel to be transferred in line with the law on privatization, is increased from 20 thousand to 30 thousand.
The law, which also brings arrangements about tobacco producers, replaces the condition ''full and new technology'' with ''integrated'' and the condition of entering to market is softened.
The law provides the opportunity to use shares and tools of capital market within the scope of privatization of Turk Telekom. A temporary article is added to Telegram and Telephone Law and the institution is authorized regarding the merging of GSM company Aycell, which is established by Turk Telekom, with another company.
All expenses regarding sale of share of Turk Telekom met by Privatization Fund will be deducted from incomes which will be provided after sale of share and will be paid by Treasury to Privatization Fund.
Activities on arrangement and supervision and activities on lottery of the National Lottery Administration are separated from each other with the law which also foresees transferring license of lotteries to real and legal bodies up to 10 years.
Under the law, activities on lottery of the National Lottery Administration can be privatized through transferring licenses and public sector will be excluded from this field and will serve for following and supervising it.
Privatization Supreme Board will be the authority in giving licenses for lotteries.
All authority and proceedings on coasts which were used by organizations under the privatization will be transferred to Privatization Administration by temporary article of the law. Proceedings on it will be made within two months after arrangement went into effect.
(BRC-AÖ) 15.08.2003