The ‘Digital Talks’ events series held by the Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey (KAGIDER) continued to address the current problems of the businesses with the session under the title of ‘Incentives and Subsidies after 30 June’.

The session started with the opening speech of the KAGIDER President Emine Erdem and continued with the moderation of KAGIDER Vice President Bahar Kayserilioğlu. The speakers of the event were EY Social Security and Labour Law Services Director Dr. Hakkı Demirci, Finance & Insurance Board Member Credit Insurance Meryem Salman and Uğurlu Danışmanlık Managing Partner Gülgün Korkusuz. In the panel, the incentives and subsidies that the business world will receive following the normalization process, after 30 June, were evaluated.

KAGIDER President Emine Erdem highlighted that the pandemic hit SMEs that provide employment for 70% of the world population and added that the sectors in which women are actively employed were among the sectors that were affected the most. Erdem continued: ‘Our desire is to pay attention to the maintenance of equality of opportunities between men and women, while considering economic development policies and measures, especially when implementing practices. I believe that we will come out of this difficult process by getting stronger by going hand in hand’.

Bahar Kayserilioğlu, Vice President of KAGIDER and the moderator of the event said: ‘We, entrepreneurs, always look positively towards the future. In this critical process, we try to seize as many opportunities as possible. We need to make the best effort in this process.’

EY Social Security and Labour Law Services Director Dr. Hakkı Demirci stated that since March, our country and the world faced a different situation, even though its effect has started to decrease as of 1 June and added: ‘We have strived to protect both our employees and our services, and this needs to continue. It is important for businesses to extend the implementation of short work allowance for another month. In this period, working remotely has become quite common, and it is anticipated that companies will continuously switch to this model in the future. It is an application that can be adopted by providing technological tools such as computer, internet and telephones and by providing the rights such as meal fee by the employer.’

Uğurlu Danışmanlık Managing Partner Gülgün Korkusuz stataed that the Ministry of Commerce provides different incentives. ‘First of all, it supports the promotion of Turkish brands in the world. After you register your brand, a support is provided every year, not exceeding 50.000 dollars, so that you can reach your target countries abroad. For business trips, it is 70% of transportation, hotel accomodation and car rental expenses for two people. You can also benefit from subsidies for your travels to 10 different countries, each different, in a year. Subsidies support 60% of digital advertising fees. It provides lease support to the manufacturing companies and market Turkish products for warehouses, stores or showrooms to be opened abroad’.

Finance & Insurance Board Member Credit Insurance Meryem Salman informed about the convenience and advantages provided by the state-supported credit insurance for businesses.