https://ahvalnews.com-Ali Babacan, the leader of the opposition Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) who successfully implemented an IMF loan accord more than a decade ago, vowed to shut down a sovereign wealth fund established by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as part of economic reforms.
Babacan made the pledge as part of an action plan he is proposing should his party enter government after the next general elections, scheduled for the summer of next year.
Erdoğan set up the wealth fund, which controls Turkey’s largest state-owned enterprises including Turkish Airlines and three state-run banks, in 2006. He is the chairman of the fund.
The former economic minister and deputy prime minister also promised to re-establish the central bank’s independence from politics, along with state bodies such as the Turkish Statistical Institute. Central bank governors, deputy governors and monetary policy committee members will only be replaced within the scope of the bank law, he said at a news conference, Gazete Duvar reported on Thursday.
Babacan also pledged to close down presidential offices responsible for formulating and enacting economic policy, handing those powers to relevant ministries and other state authorities.
He promised to ensure that all public-private projects conform to the law and are subject to proper legal, technical and administrative oversight. His party will introduce new public tender laws to ensure processes fully comply with European Union standards, he said.
DEVA will also reduce the tax burden for low-income workers, abolish special consumption taxes on basic goods and reduce value-added taxes, Babacan said.
Babacan founded DEVA in March 2020. His party is in talks to establish an alliance with other opposition groups ahead of the elections.
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