| FROM CHIEF | Murat SARAYLI |
| Chairman of the Board of TUGIAD/Confedereration of Young European Businessmen (YES) |
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Turkey Must Aim To Be In The First 50s In 2012 |
Turkey must run faster to its goal and become a developed country as soon as possible. In this race towards the modern civilization level, Turkey should be able to fix more concrete goals for itself.
Everyone living in Turkey has responsibilities to achieve these goals. We all need to have goals determined for our country and start to work for. But at first, our governments must fulfill their responsibilities and set clear and net macro goals.
Within this framework, in TUGIAD we set twelve targets until 2012, in parallel with the duty term of the new government and we believe that these targets are very important milestones to realize our final goal.
Turkey must finally beat the inflation and keep it permanently about 2 – 3 percent. Turkey must have globally admitted inflation and interest rates together with permanent price stability. All the structural reforms in the public sector must be completed and there should be no more items left. Turkey shouldn’t postpone its reforms, so that the rate of public expenses to GNP which decreased until 30% in 2007 from 44% in 2002, should fall down until 20% in 2012. The rate of the net public debt stock to GDP should also be under 50%. Turkey shouldn’t discuss any more public debt problems, public prices and public markups. The role of the public sector in the economy must be limited to regulation and inspection.
Turkey must get rid of the informal economy. Turkey should be able to overcome the informal economy, which degenerates the economy and which is as harmful as the inflation. In 2012, everyone should become a taxpayer and give tax statements, workers under social security coverage must raise up to 12 millions, the rate of participation of women to workforce which is 26% in 2007 should become 40%.
Turkey should be no more a risky country where risks are spelled and calculated. Turkey must be a country safe for investment and certify this by being classified as a country with the credit note A in 2012.
Turkey must produce science and technology, should no more chase after the others’ technologies and watch the technological race from outside. In 2012, our R&D expenses should be as high as 2% of the GNP but those expenses should have reasonable returns and the number of annual registered commercial patents should rise up to 10.000.
Turkey must complete the privatization process until 2012. Privatization shouldn’t become a nostalgic issue for Turkey. The Privatization Agency should be closed with a crowded ceremony in 2012.
Turkey shouldn’t be a country which produces only, and more particularly it should no more be a center of subcontracting manufacturers for others’ brands. To that effect, until 2012 we should create 10 Turkish brands in different industries, global in all aspects.
Turkey should be finally in the process of eliminating the economical and social backwardness of the South Eastern region. To achieve this goal, Turkey must at first complete its irrigation investments until 2012.
Turkey should no more live in shantytowns. The State must fulfill its duty to make everyone owner of a healthy and secure home. Turkey shouldn’t miss its last chance in this field and must be able to ensure a healthy and regular urbanization. The rate of the number of houses without construction permission to the total of housing stock, which is 38% in 2006 must be reduced to 20% until 2012.
Turkey must have completed until 2012 all the steps required to completely ensure its food and energy security. Turkey, which was rich in water, is becoming a desert. Turkey must be able to carry out an effective water management, should feed itself and its neighbors with its irrigated farming and food production, and reduce its energy dependency down to 50% until 2012 by using all the alternative energy sources including nuclear power.
Turkey, beyond doing something for our citizens living abroad, should now have the approach to ensure their adopting Turkey’s goals and create the required infrastructure and relations to convince them.
Turkey must achieve all these goals and move from the 92nd rank of the UN Human Development Index where it is, to the first 50 countries until 2010.
