ANKARA - "We will continue to take important steps in the area of structural reforms under our economic program," said State Minister Mehmet Simsek on Friday.
State Minister Simsek held a joint press conference with IMF Turkey Mission Chief Lorenzo Giorgianni at the Treasury Undersecretariat in Ankara after the completion of 7th review under the stand-by agreement.
"As you know, an extensive draft law on social security reform had been submitted to the parliament. The law is expected to be adopted and enforced in 2008. Also others reforms aiming improvements in public finance is in our agenda," said Simsek.
Stating that the strategy for privatization of public banks was included in government's "action plan" Simsek said the strategy for the privatization of Halkbank would be determined and announced in the following months.
"Besides the privatization of Halkbank, we will accelerate our efforts in this area by privatising the cigarette branch of Tekel, energy distribution and production companies, certain sugar factories, assets like bridges and highways in the 2008-2009 period," indicated Simsek.
Simsek also noted that their efforts to improve the investment environment would continue and said they expected the Parliament to adopt the new Turkish trade law in the following months, in this respect.
Simsek said they expected IMF Executive Board to approve the seventh review in February.
Upon the approval of IMF Executive Board, another credit tranche over 1.1 billion USD will be released for Turkey.