ANKARA - After the ninth review which would be conducted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September is completed, a new three-year economic program could take shape in October or November, Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener said on Wednesday.
Stating that Turkey would enter a new era at the end of 2004, Sener said that there was need for a new economic program for this new period.
''The Stand-by deal that was signed earlier with IMF, will expire in February 2005. Timetable for Turkey's starting membership negotiations with the European Union (EU) will become definite in the EU summit in December. This is very important for Turkey-EU relations. It will also affect economic process in Turkey,'' he stated.
Stating that bureaucrats were given necessary instructions to prepare a new economic program, Sener said that technical studies were conducting under the auspices of the Undersecretariat of Treasury, State Planning Organization (DPT) and Finance Ministry.
''Macro balances, debts to be paid by the state, need for borrowing, incomes to be collected by the state and some other issues would be included in this economic program'', Sener stated.
He added that they would carry on budget discipline as a principle.
(EÖ-ULG) 07.07.2004