ANKARA, Jan 8 (A.A) - Turkish Tobacco and Alcoholic Drinks Monopoly (Tekel) Director General Mehmet Akbay said on Tuesday that Tekel would make 156.9 million U.S. dollars exports and 259 million U.S. dollars imports in 2002.
Akbay said that Tekel programmed to produce 82 thousand tons of cigarettes and 120.7 thousand litres of alcoholic drinks and ethly alcohol in 2002.
Akbay informed the Parliamentary State Economic Enterprises Commission on Tekel's activities in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
Recalling that production of filter and nonfilter cigarettes and tobacco by Tekel had been 75.6 thousand tons in 1997, 81.9 thousand tons in 1998 and 76.1 thousand tons in 1999, Akbay said that production had remained at 76 thousand tons in 2000.
Recalling that the revised production by Tekel had been 68.9 thousand tons in 2001 and production in 2002 had been programmed to be 82 thousand tons, Akbay said, ''production of raki, vodka, gin, beer, wine and ethyl alcohol which was 121.3 thousand litres in 1997 rose to 136.6 thousand litres in 1998. The production in 1999 reduced to 130.6 thousand litres became 107.7 thousand litres in 2000 and 112.6 thousand litres in 2001. We estimate that production will be 120.7 thousand litres in 2002.''
Recalling that exports from Tekel had been 299 million U.S. dollars in 1997, 190.8 million U.S. dollars in 1998, 150.2 million U.S. dollars in 1999, 134.3 million U.S. dollars in 2000 and 142 million U.S. dollars in 2001, Akbay said they targeted to increase exports to 156.9 million U.S. dollars in 2002.
Noting that imports by Tekel had been 290.9 million U.S. dollars in 1997, 252 million U.S. dollars in 1998, 217.8 million U.S. dollars in 1999, 184.8 million U.S. dollars in 2000 and 209.1 million U.S. dollars in 2001, Akbay said imports had been programmed to be 259 million U.S. dollars in 2002.
Akbay added that Tekel's turnover which had been 403.4 billion Turkish liras (TL) in 1997 increased to 6 quadrillion TL in 2002.