Ferit Gürsoy, Spokesperson of the Bursa Our Platform Working Group, called for record amnesty and inclusion of the victims of abandonment into the economy with the joint report they prepared. Approximately 50 thousand SMEs in Bursa and 1 million SMEs and tradesmen in Türkiye are waiting for record amnesty.

The "Joint Report on Commercial Records Amnesty and Integrating Victims of Abandonment into the Economy and Protection of Honest Tradesmen" prepared by the Bursa Bizim Platform Working Group was shared with the public. In the report prepared by meeting with representatives of the business world during the activity, which lasted approximately 1.5 months, it was suggested that tradesmen waiting for record amnesty should be reintegrated into the economy and that tradesmen who fulfill their obligations regularly should be given "White Record" incentives.

Bursa Our Platform Working Group Spokesperson Ferit Gürsoy stated that they met with Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bursa Tradesmen and Craftsmen Chambers Union, Bursa Tradesmen and Craftsmen Credit and Guarantee Cooperatives Marmara Regional Directorate, business people associations and representatives of the business world during the preparation of the report.

Gürsoy stated that although many tradesmen who were blacklisted in the past had paid off their debts, they could not access suitable loans and could not even get a credit card. He said, "Small and medium-sized businesses cannot access financing due to the economic difficulties experienced today. With the amnesty of records, these businesses can be brought back into the economy, employment losses can be prevented and the obstacles to their access to finance can be removed. At the same time, small businesses will not be left at the mercy of loan sharks."

"There are 50 thousand victims in Bursa and 1 million victims in Türkiye"

Expressing that they think at least 50 thousand tradesmen in Bursa are affected by this situation, Gürsoy claimed that approximately 1 million small and medium-sized businesses in Turkey are victims of registry records. Gürsoy said that a one-time record amnesty should be introduced for tradesmen and victims of abandonment and that this should be guaranteed by legal regulation.

"Banks' blacklists should be updated"

Drawing attention to the importance of the registry amnesty being implemented by banks, Gürsoy said, "We think that a registry amnesty will not provide the desired benefit unless banks update their blacklists. A binding regulation on banks needs to be made with the joint activity of the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance."

The platform's report emphasized that not only record amnesty should be encouraged, but also tradesmen who regularly fulfill their obligations should be encouraged. Gürsoy suggested creating a "White Record" or "Golden Tradesman" category for tradesmen and industrialists who pay their taxes on time, do not delay their insurance premiums and make their loan payments regularly, and asked for a 2-3 percent interest discount on public loans and Credit Guarantee Fund supports for these taxpayers, and that the 5 percent discount rate in income and corporate taxes be increased to 10 to 15 percent. - BURSA