Will vocational high school graduates perform paid military service for free?

Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO) Chairman Gürsel Baran attended the "TOBB Joint Council Meeting of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chambers of Commerce" held at the TOBB Building, hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu and attended by Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat.

In his speech at the meeting, Baran made evaluations regarding the expectations, problems, and solution proposals of the real sector.

Stating that labor demand is at the top of the problems brought to the agenda by ATO's 68 professional committees representing 160 thousand members, Baran explained that all sectors, from textiles to footwear, and from transportation to construction, are in need of qualified employees. Baran stated, "We need to support vocational training with certain advantages to direct our children to receive training in areas needed by the real sector. One of these is to ensure that vocational high school graduates can perform paid military service for free."

TO MAKE VOCATIONAL TRAINING ATTRACTIVE...

Baran stated that in order to make vocational training attractive, issues such as the state covering up to 50 percent of insurance premiums, a discount of up to 50 percent on health expense contributions, a 3-month seniority bonus for every year worked for retirement, a 50 percent discount for private pension plans, and a 50 percent discount on vehicle insurance and comprehensive insurance premiums could be considered as incentives.

Baran shared the following proposals representing the trade sector:

• Increasing the limits and the number of installments applied to commercial credit cards, which provide great advantages to businesses in financial management and expenditure control,
• Providing the opportunity to pay taxes and Social Security Institution (SGK) premiums with commercial credit cards without commission, depending on the card's payment capacity,
• Amending the Law on the Regulation of Retail Trade to prevent chain stores from selling tobacco products, furniture, mobile phones, electronic goods, white goods, ready-to-wear clothing, knitwear, hardware materials, batteries, car tires, and toys,

• Chain stores being closed on Sundays, religious and national holidays, and remaining open between 10:00 and 20:00 on other days, and discounts in these stores being made for specific periods and only in certain branches,
•  The duration and frequency of discount or promotional sales campaigns in chain stores being subject to separate regulation,

• Due to the fact that different rates applied to the purchase and sale of products in some sectors in VAT implementation create a transaction burden for businesses, lead to confusion, and increase the informal economy, abandoning the application of different rates in purchases and sales and implementing a single-rate VAT,
• Solving the problems experienced by both business people and businesses engaged in transportation regarding visas, and facilitating visa application processes,
• Implementing measures to encourage the merger of companies,

• Supporting domestic and national production.