Opposition leaders criticize govt during budget debates

Addressing Parliament yesterday during debate over the proposed 2009 budget, main opposition Republican People Party (CHP) leader Deniz Baykal urged the government to prepare an economic package with the participation of all actors in the economy, adding that more money should be invested in infrastructure. He called for cuts in the Value-Added Tax (VAT) and private consumption and insurance taxes to spur domestic demand and said that the state guarantee for bank deposits should be increased further. Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli said the crisis would hit Turkey harder next year, adding that measures must be taken to ensure Turkey weathers the crisis with minimal damage. Stressing that the crisis has made the economy more vulnerable, Bahceli stated that economic policy ignoring the importance of production and the real sector would make Turkey subject to control by outside forces.