PLASFED Attends Coordination Meeting on Combating Coronavirus

Ömer Karadeniz, Chairman of the Board at the Plastic Manufacturers Federation (PLASFED), stated at the Coordination Meeting on Combating Coronavirus held in Ankara on 18 March 2020 that the measure envisaging the postponement of social security contributions, VAT and summary tax payments should be expanded to cover all manufacturing industry, particularly the plastics sector. Emphasizing the strategic importance of the plastics sector due to its supply of intermediate inputs to more than 30 sectors, Ömer Karadeniz stated: "Despite insufficient investment in raw materials, the Turkish plastics sector has grown at tremendous pace and has enabled us to have the second-largest plastics sector in Europe after Germany. With annual production approaching 10 million tonnes, the sector provides employment to more than 350,000 people, and its direct exports exceed USD 6 billion. When we add the indirect exports contained within the product exports of automotive, white goods, packaging, electrical-electronics and other sectors, total exports reach USD 12 billion. The sector's true strategic importance lies in ensuring supply security for more than 30 sectors to which it provides intermediate inputs." Reminding that as civil society organizations they are ready to provide the desired support for the Economic Stability Shield measure package to achieve results, Karadeniz stated: "Both in expanding the existing measure package and in overcoming the difficulties that arise in its implementation, public authorities and civil society organizations need to conduct joint work in cooperation. The more feedback our public institutions receive from the ground, the easier it will be for these measures to succeed."