Erdogan Delivers A Speech On Draft Law On 2008 Budget

ANKARA - Justice and Development (AK) Party Chairman and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech on behalf of the government in regard to the draft law on 2008 Central Administration Budget in the parliament on Tuesday.
Erdogan said inflation figure exceeded inflation target of the government, when he replied to criticisms on draft law on 2008 budget.
The government reduced inflation to single-digit figure and recorded important developments to secure a permanent price stability, he said.
Erdogan said interest rate was reduced from 63.4 percent to 13 percent earlier and this ratio was 16 percent currently.
In regard to foreign trade volume, he stated it was 87.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2002 and it became 225 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2006.
"We expect that Turkey`s exports will amount to 106 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2007," PM Erdogan said.
"The lowest salary of civil servants will become 887 YTL in January 2008 and 925 YTL in July 2008," he noted.
According to Erdogan, the ratio of public debt stock to GNP will become lower than 40 percent at the end of 2007.
"Turkey is a country of opportunities. There has been stability in the country. We secured stability thanks to structural reforms and fiscal policies that have been implemented by our government," Erdogan added.