Ergun pledges support for SMEs

Speaking at an Istanbul meeting to launch a project for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to offer them the opportunity to carry their businesses over to the Internet, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergun touched upon the importance of SMEs in the world's economy, as well as in Turkey's economy. Ergun reiterated that SMEs, constituting 99 percent of Turkish firms, carried out 60 percent of Turkey's export and the ministry has been working hard to provide SMEs with a more competitive structure. Stating that not only public sector, but also non-governmental organizations and large firms should take initiative to ensure a more competitive structure for SMEs, Ergun said that the project was greatly important in that respect. Touching upon the government's new incentive system, Ergun said that certain arrangements have been made in the system, taking into consideration certain requests made by the public and sector. Ergun added that the incentive system aimed to increase investments, decrease regional imbalances through higher incentives for certain regions, reduce current deficit and provide technological transformation.