Fatih Portakal's minimum wage hike prediction: 'If the government decides to show mercy...'

As citizens struggle with the cost of living due to high inflation and rising prices, all eyes have turned to the 2025 minimum wage hike.

Sözcü TV Main News Bulletin anchor Fatih Portakal has shared his prediction regarding the minimum wage increase.

"IF THE GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO SHOW MERCY..."

Listing the possibilities one by one, Fatih Portakal stated that he expects the new hike rate to be between 40 and 50 percent. Portakal said regarding the government, "If they decide to show mercy, the rate could even go up to 65 percent."

Portakal's statements regarding the minimum wage are as follows;

What will happen to the minimum wage? If we don't count September, there are October, November, December... In 3 and a half months, the new minimum wage, that is, the 2025 minimum wage, will be determined. Now, if you ask what is being discussed; they say that with the new regulation and the new adjustment, inflation could be around 41.5 percent or even reach 45 percent. Let's take year-end inflation as 41 percent; they will give at least 41 percent inflation.

WILL THERE BE A WELFARE SHARE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE?

They might add a welfare share of 5 or 10 points on top of that. So, as far as I can see, we are talking about a hike rate between 40 and 50 percent. If you are receiving a 20,000 TL pension, a 40 percent increase would make it 28,000 TL, or a 50 percent increase would make it 30,000 TL; they will not give less than 40 percent.

THE RATE HE PREDICTED

So, according to this calculation, they won't give less; I predict it will be between 40 and 50 percent. The minimum wage is 17,002 TL. When we look at purchasing power, it has dropped to about 13,000 TL. There is a 25 percent loss there. You never know, if they decide to show mercy, if the calculations allow for it, it might even go up to 65 percent, but they have to give at least 40 percent.

A QUESTION FOR ŞİMŞEK

We will all see this for ourselves in a few months. Now, there is one important question I want to ask here; to the person managing us, or rather, the person at the head of the economy, Mehmet Şimşek: How will you fix the income inequality? Mr. Mehmet, there is income inequality in the country, and this income inequality—I mean, the minimum wage is 17,000 TL, and there are those whose salaries are not enough. On one side there are those who earn a lot, and on the other side those who earn very little; how will you resolve this income inequality?

"WITHOUT INCOME, THEY CAN'T EVEN DREAM"

Let me ask if you have a plan or a scenario for this while you are thinking about inflation. Because if there is no income, people cannot own anything. If there is no income, people cannot even dream.

News Source: 12punto