YENİ Party Diyarbakır MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu made evaluations regarding the 2027 budget, which has begun deliberations at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) Planning and Budget Committee. Arguing that the weight of interest expenses in the budget has increased, Tanrıkulu said, "The largest item in this budget is interest."
Stating that one of the fundamental duties of the Parliament is to create a budget, Tanrıkulu said that the right to budget means the authority to collect revenue, make expenditures, and audit these expenditures on behalf of the public. Tanrıkulu emphasized that this right has historically been one of the most important functions of parliaments.
Reminding that the 2027 budget deliberations began with the presentation of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Tanrıkulu stated that the budget will come to the General Assembly after the committee process. According to Tanrıkulu, one of the fundamental problems of the budget is that interest expenses have become permanent.
The largest item in this budget is interest. The largest ministry is actually the ministry of interest. More expenditure goes to interest than to all other ministries combined.
Tanrıkulu stated that the share of interest expenses within the budget was 8.9 percent in 2018, and that this rate has risen to 14.6 percent for 2027. Stating that the budget deficit is calculated at approximately 3 trillion 900 billion TL, while interest expenses are calculated at around 4 trillion TL, Tanrıkulu argued that this picture is the result of the government's economic policies.
Claiming that public investments have declined, Tanrıkulu said that investments for the public good such as infrastructure, dams, and roads have remained in the background in the budget. Stating that the tax burden is collected mostly through consumption and wages, Tanrıkulu expressed that taxes collected from high-income and wealthy individuals remain limited in the main backbone of the budget.
Touching upon agricultural subsidies as well, Tanrıkulu stated that the support obligation in the Agriculture Law is not being implemented and that the share that should be allocated to agriculture is not being met. Arguing that the incomes of retirees, civil servants, and minimum wage earners are eroding against inflation throughout the year, Tanrıkulu stated that they will strive for changes in favor of citizens during the budget deliberations.
News Source: 12punto
