ISTANBUL - Robert Haywood, the Director the World Economic Progressing Zones Association (WEPZA), proposed investment in free zones in Turkey.
A conference on ''Using Economic Progressing Zones (EPZs) to Build Trade Capacity'' organized by WEPZA chaired by State Minister Kursad Tuzmen began in Istanbul.
Delivering a speech at the opening of the conference, Haywood said that he had not proposed free zones in Turkey to business circles when he had earlier visited the country. Haywood stated that there were great progresses in Turkey and noted that people should make investments in free zones in Turkey.
Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) executive board members Nail Kalemci said that free zones had important functions for increasing exports, encouraging foreign investors and creating employment opportunities especially in developing countries like Turkey.
Kalemci said that free zones would need to be restructured in the following period.
Stating that it was planned to lift free zones from being put into practice in the European Union (EU) countries after 2003, Kalemci said that problems in zones which provided 40.000 people with jobs in Turkey and formed 10 percent of foreign trade should be solved as soon as possible.
(EÖ-AY) 20.10.2003