Now they will sell roads and bridges

Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek announced that hydroelectric power plants (HEPP), ports, roads, bridges and land belonging to Elektrik Üretim A.Ş will be privatized in the coming period. (EÜAŞ).

Şimşek stated that due to high inflation, they will switch to the inflation accounting system and that they will keep banks and financial institutions separate and inflation accounting will not be applied to these institutions. Şimşek also stated that they did not go door to door asking anyone for money.

Minister Şimşek answered questions at the GNAT Planning and Budget Commission, where his ministry presented the budget for 2024. Opposition parliamentarians responded to Şimşek, who stated that they would not privatize a new public institution other than the one in the program : “Whatever is left that you have not already sold, you have sold everything you have.”

The bridges and roads that Şimşek said will be privatized include transportation networks that were built with public resources in the past, especially the Istanbul-Ankara Expressway and the Istanbul Bosphorus Bridge, where fares are much cheaper compared to those operated by the private sector. If privatized, the price of these roads and bridges is expected to increase enormously.

“WE DID NOT GO DOOR TO DOOR TO ASK FOR MONEY”

Minister Şimşek also responded to criticism from opposition parliamentarians by saying: “They go door to door asking for money from Arab countries.” He said that he has visited many countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Germany, France and England, but he only talked about the economic program they implemented there. Stating that he did not go door to door or ask anyone for money, Şimşek claimed that he was invited to most of these meetings as a speaker.

While stating that they are determined to reduce inflation, Şimşek stated that the measures they took today have given results after 18 months, and that although there is a decrease in monthly inflation, the decrease in annual inflation will come in the middle of next year .

Stating that they are doing everything necessary to get out of the gray list in the fight against black money, Şimşek said: “One issue remains in this issue. It is also about crypto assets. We will present the legal regulation on cryptoassets to our Parliament. “This is the only issue left to resolve,” he said.