Chemical Exporters Welcome Green Passport Decision
The amendment to Law No. 6728 published in the Official Gazette has given exporters the 'green light' for a green passport.
Chemical Exporters Welcome Green Passport Decision
An amendment to Law No. 6728 published in the Official Gazette has given exporters the green light for the green passport.
Under the classification based on annual average export value, company officials whose annual average export volume over the past three years exceeds the amount to be determined by the Council of Ministers may be granted a green passport for a period of 2 years.
İKMİB Board Chairman Murat Akyüz, commenting on the decision, stated that a very important step has been taken in overcoming losses caused by visa requirements.
Chemical exporters, who travel the world extensively to increase their exports and cover thousands of kilometres annually, welcomed the green passport decision. The special green passport provides Turkish citizens with the opportunity to travel visa-free to many countries in the world.
Istanbul Chemical Substances and Products Exporters Association (İKMİB) Board Chairman Murat Akyüz, who pointed out that visas are one of the biggest obstacles facing exporters, said the decision is very correct and timely.
Noting that they are in constant travel to establish new export connections and maintain existing exports, in addition to trade fairs and business delegations, Murat Akyüz stated: "As exporters, throughout the year we travel to very different routes from America to the Far East, from Europe to Africa.
Sometimes we need to visit several countries on the same trip. Visas cost exporters most in terms of time. The number of our exporters who have suffered commercial losses due to visa delays is not insignificant.
Therefore, granting the green passport right, which means visa-free travel to many countries in the world, to those exporters who meet the specified conditions is a very valuable and praiseworthy step. Even where visas are required, problems experienced when entering certain countries will be eliminated.
In calculations to be made according to the average export volume of the past three years, separate and higher numbers of green passports for those with average export volumes of USD 1 million and above, USD 5 million and above, and USD 10 million and above will have a direct positive impact on our exports.
Thus, our exporters and their teams will be able to visit more countries without waiting in visa queues. Best wishes to all exporting companies in all sectors."
The amendment that opens the way for exporters to obtain green passports…The following paragraph has been added to paragraph (A) of Article 14 of the Passport Law No. 5682 dated 15/7/1950: "Under the classification based on annual average export values; company officials whose annual average export volume over the past three years exceeds the amount to be determined by the Council of Ministers may, notwithstanding the periods specified in Article 53 of the Turkish Penal Code, regardless of whether they have been convicted of an intentional crime resulting in one year or more imprisonment or have received a pardon; provided they have not been convicted of crimes against the security of the State, crimes against the constitutional order and its functioning, embezzlement, bribery, theft, fraud, forgery, breach of trust, fraudulent bankruptcy, bid-rigging, performance-rigging, money laundering derived from crime, or smuggling; a special passport may be issued for a period of two years in accordance with the principles determined by the Council of Ministers." |
