CHP mayors to meet: Daycares, SSI debts, trustees...

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel will host 414 CHP mayors at the party's headquarters in Ankara today. The meeting's agenda will include the appointment of trustees, Social Security Institution (SSI) debts, seizures applied to municipal accounts, and cuts to Treasury shares.

Following the recent appointment of trustees to the Tunceli and Ovacık municipalities by the Ministry of Interior, Özel had announced that he would meet with the mayors on November 30. It is claimed that today's meeting was organized in line with these statements.

MANY ISSUES ON THE TABLE

While the meeting will criticize the practice of appointing trustees to municipalities, it will also evaluate how the government's policies toward municipalities affect local services. Another prominent topic will be the warning letters sent by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change regarding municipal daycares.

'WE WILL CREATE RESOURCES'

CHP officials stated that they plan to take new steps to solve the economic problems of the municipalities. Calling on the government, especially for the restructuring of SSI debts, the officials said, "They are trying to restrict our municipalities' service areas with a debt burden. By postponing the restructuring law until February-March, they are creating an unfair process. In response, we are taking rapid action with resource creation, revenue enhancement, and austerity measures."

CALL TO PARLIAMENT

CHP staff noted that 90 billion TL of the SSI's 960 billion TL in receivables belongs to municipalities, and that a large portion of this stems from CHP-run municipalities. Stating that the enactment of a restructuring law would give municipalities breathing room, the officials said, "This law is necessary not only for municipalities but for the entire country. Our municipalities should be able to focus on their services by restructuring their debts."

It was also learned that a special meeting will be held with mayors of districts with a population of over 50 thousand.

News Source: 12punto