On Thursday, June 18, 2020, hosted by our PLASFED President Ömer Karadeniz, with the participation of the presidents of all non-governmental organizations operating in the plastics sector, such as İKMİB, AKİB, TOBB Packaging Council, EVFED, ASD, BURPAS, EASD, EGEPLASDER, EVSİD, KAYPİDER, KSD, PAGDER, PAGEV, SEPA and ZÜCDER, our webinar titled “Presidents Speak in the Sector” was held.
Our PLASFED President Ömer Karadeniz, addressing the issues negatively affecting the plastics sector, whose trade volume narrowed during the pandemic period, said: “In order for the sector to overcome the pandemic period with the least damage and not lose its competitiveness in foreign markets, it is necessary to extend the short-time working allowance for at least 3 more months, facilitate businesses' access to finance by diversifying financing channels, and lower industrial electricity prices. In our country, industrial electricity prices have been above residential electricity prices since the beginning of 2019. This pricing strategy, which is not seen in developed countries, must be reversed, and the competitive structure of the manufacturing industry must be protected. I would like to thank all our NGO Presidents who have contributed to our sector with their dedicated efforts, especially Mr. Selçuk Gülsün, Chairman of the Board of the Plastics Industrialists' Association (PAGDER), whose energy reports prepared by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (İSO), which has impressed with its work on electricity prices recently and accounts for approximately 50% of Turkey's production, are taken as an example,” he said.
Ömer Karadeniz, evaluating the situation of the sector during the Covid-19 process and the normalization period we are currently in, said: “The shortening of the supply chain in the post-pandemic period presents many opportunities for Turkey. With the right strategies to be put forward through the cooperation of public authorities and NGOs, it is highly probable that our plastics sector will increase its share in export markets and become an attractive alternative for direct foreign investment. I believe that all our NGOs are ready to support our Ministries in taking the necessary steps to attract direct foreign investment, which is very important for the development of our country's industrial infrastructure” he said.
Adil Pelister, Chairman of the Board of İKMİB, who touched upon the long-term strategies of the sector in addition to the effects of the pandemic and current problems of the sector, said: “I believe that the negative perception in society, which lacks a scientific basis, needs to be changed by better explaining the value that the chemical industry adds to our lives to the end consumer, and that this is the biggest obstacle to the sector's long-term development” he said. Saadettin Çağan, Chairman of the Board of AKİB Chemical Substances and Products Exporters' Association, emphasized the importance of scale, stating: “Supporting clustering in the sector and businesses reaching economies of scale is a necessity both for increasing competitiveness in foreign markets and for making businesses, and thus the sector, more resilient to external shocks” he said. Mustafa Tacir, Chairman of the TOBB Packaging Council, stated that a significant paradigm shift is being experienced: “The subsidization of businesses producing certain strategic products, considering potential crisis periods, has begun to be discussed in both the EU and the US. A similar strategy needs to be analyzed for our country as well” he said.
As a result of the speeches made by all NGO Presidents regarding their own agendas, it was underlined that sector NGOs should speak with one voice on the common issues that emerged. While it was decided to work on the issues of primarily regulating energy prices to bring industrial electricity below residential electricity prices, increasing industrial lands which pose a problem for all industrialists, and ensuring the manufacturing industry benefits maximally from public supports, our PLASFED Chairman of the Board Ömer Karadeniz thanked all NGO Presidents for their participation.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.