Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce’s April Assembly Meeting was Held

The April ordinary assembly meeting of Gaziantep Chamber of Commerce (GTO) was held under the chairmanship of Assembly President M. Hilmi Teymur, with the participation of the Board of Directors, Assembly and Disciplinary Board members.

Referring to April 23 National Sovereignty and Children’s Day in his speech at the opening of the meeting, GTO Assembly President M. Hilmi Teymur emphasized that the existence of a nation and the solidity of its foundations begin with the healthy and conscious upbringing of children.

Teymur said, “Look what Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk said in the opening speech of the Parliament on March 1, 1922: ‘To our children and young people who will grow up, regardless of the limits of the education they will receive, first and foremost, Turkey’s future, its own identity, its national traditions. ‘The need to fight against all hostile elements should be taught.’ “We must raise our children under the guidance of these words so that we can entrust them with the future of our country with peace of mind,” he said.

“Shutters should be open on special days”

GTO Chairman Tuncay Yıldırım, who came to the podium after Mayor Teymur and informed the members of the Assembly about the activities carried out by GTO in April, stated that Gaziantep has gained momentum in tourism in recent years, but tourists coming to the city on special occasions such as holidays have difficulty finding open restaurants. “In order to support Gaziantep tourism, our cafes and restaurants need to be open, especially during long holidays such as holidays. Last Ramadan Eid, we came across many complaints about this. We saw our guests who came to Gaziantep with large delegations but could not find an open place to eat or take a tea break. “Our city has gained momentum in history, culture and gastronomy tourism in recent years. We need to support this and the shutters should be open on special days in our city,” he said.

“The definition of exorbitant price should be made clearly”

Drawing attention to the pricing policy, which has occupied the country’s agenda for a long time and caused reactions, Mayor Yıldırım said that the main source of all the negativities experienced is inflation and that the price perception has deteriorated.

Stating that the inflationary environment brings with it abuses, Yıldırım said, “Unfortunately, there are businesses that abuse this in periods when inflation is very high. With the deterioration of price perception, such businesses cause great harm to each of us with exorbitant prices. On the other hand, there is a bitter truth. It is obvious to us as consumers.” When you calculate the cost of very high prices, it is really difficult for our businesses to survive and continue their activities. The cost of the soup you drink in a restaurant today may change tomorrow. When the increase in costs is not always reflected in the prices, the business is in a difficult situation. As a company, we are in a difficult situation. In this table, it is very important that the definition of exorbitant prices is made clearly, abuses are detected, our state follows up on this issue and provides solutions, without leaving any question marks. Legal regulations should not be made without a definition of exorbitant prices that will be accepted by all segments of society. Neither the consumer nor the producer should be harmed. It should not be forgotten that for businesses, the best scale and measure is the citizen himself. “If the price they pay does not cover the service they receive, the best punishment is for the citizen himself,” he said.

“We must position ourselves according to geopolitical risks”

Referring to Turkey’s position and geopolitical risks in his speech, Yıldırım said, “Every step taken politically and socially directly affects the global economy. It determines the direction of trade, affects costs and the supply chain. It does not matter whether the events take place outside of us. After all, we are all interconnected.” We are part of a system. Think about the effects of the tension between Iran and Israel on the economy. The whole world is worried about the regionalization and intensification of the war. The increase in geopolitical risks and uncertainty in the region will increase our risk premium and therefore our borrowing costs. So, once these geopolitical risks pass, we will see. “We cannot say, we must learn to manage this situation and position ourselves correctly,” he said.

“In the fight against inflation, the cost should be distributed fairly”

Stating that the current economic policy should continue to strengthen predictability in order to ensure price stability and financial stability in the process of fighting inflation, GTO President Yıldırım said, “In doing this, monetary and fiscal policy should complement each other. The cost of the fight against inflation is undoubtedly very heavy, but the fair distribution of the cost is very important. This cost is only “Citizens and not only the business world should pay, but also the public should save. In this sense, I find the government’s statement that savings will be made in the public sector by emphasizing ‘making existing expenditures more efficient’ positive,” he said. – GAZİANTEP