More inspections on way with transparency reform

Nuray Babacan / Neşe Karanfil ANKARA

The government plans to minimize the informal economy by maximizing inspections in many areas, from people’s income to municipalities’ construction licenses.

The Turkish government is bidding to minimize the informal economy by increasing inspections in a number of fields - from people’s income to municipalities’ construction licenses - with a new transparency reform package, which is expected to be introduced to Parliament within a month.

The package will be based on four pillars, including individuals, ministries, municipalities and companies, according to sources familiar with the issue.

“Transparency really matters. It is one of the main priorities of the G-20 countries as well. We have taken many steps to improve transparency in Turkey since 2002. And we have recently completed around 80-90 percent of a new, detailed reform to further enhance transparency. We’ll discuss the draft package very soon. We’ll be announcing it by the end of this year, I believe,” Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said on Dec. 3.

The emphasis of the package will be to make the economy transparent and control the money flow, sources added.

“For instance, if a taxpayer’s monthly income is 11,000 liras, but his non-working wife’s monthly spending exceeds 20,000 liras, the government will have the chance to look where this money is coming from by following credit card transactions,” said one source.

Babacan put a special emphasis on the planned steps to improve competitiveness and the fair distribution of rent in the construction sector.

Transparency in municipalities’ construction licenses is also aimed to be ensured with the new reform package, sources added.

In this vein, municipalities will have the right to ask homeowners of extra charges if the construction license of their land is revised to build a higher house after a change in the neighborhood’s housing rules.