What do I actually do in TOBB? (Week 3 TOBB)

In the first week I stayed in TOBB, I have visited the following departments:

1. Foreign Economic Relations Department (with International Relations Division and Foreign Trade Division)

2. Department of European Department (with EU Harmonization and Negotiation Unit and EU Project Development and Monitoring Division)

3. Information Service Department (with Database and Information Retrieval Division , IT Division, Library and Turkish Trade Registry Gazette)

The above three are under office of Deputy Secretary General (Foreign Economic Affairs).

4. Trade and TIR Department (unfortunately I have only visited one of its division, that is Fair Division)

5. Sector R&D and Implementation Department (with Economic Research and Statistics Division, and Training and Quality Department, Division of SME Research and Consultancy Center, Industry Division, Insurance Division, Quality and Environmental Division, etc.)

They are headed by Deputy Secretary General (Technical Affairs).
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Foreign Economic Relations Department



Department of European Department

I met Nurten, Burcin, Banu,Hande, Ilke, Ela, Irmak, Tugce, Beigin, Burcu, Merih, Petek, Werner and of course Mustafa, the helpful department head.

i. Headed by Werner, an experienced project manager from Austria who established a bank before, the EU Project Development and Monitoring Division is responsible to monitor the progress of implementation of European Union Law by the Turkish private sector. Since Turkey is now under the assessment period for the membership of European Union, it is crucial to ensure the private sector to follow the Environmental Charter about climate change, water for example, Entrepreneurship (say, women entrepreneurship), Intellectual Property Right and the Legislature regulating the industrial sector.

ii. Besides, the duties of Harmonization and Negotiation Unit headed by Petek, a PhD in political science, is to coordinate the problems due to liberalization of the economy by running the consultancy system, providing the guidance for foreign companies who are interested in Turkish market, enhancing the competitiveness of SMES with credit guarantee.

iii. It is interesting to mention that there is a European Information Centre in which numerous publications are available for the employees to study (This remind that I have to find two books, one is “The ABC of Community Law by Dr. Klaus-Dietor Borchandt , and “Access to Europe: Guide to Community, thank you Sinem here who are master in Military Academy :D ).

Information Service Department

i. Introduced by Salih (which literately means “Good Man”), I know Turkish Trade Registry Gazette, which publish the Gazette authorizing and announce the legal establishment of company, is the most profit-making company: D

Trade and TIR Department

Sector R&D and Implementation Department

i. Industrial Division is responsible for preparing the capacity reports of the industries in Turkey by setting the criteria for the report, collecting relevant data, transfer the data into the industrial data base. Capacity Reports are prepared and updated every three years. The capacity, the maximum amount each industry and company can produce by fully utilizing the available machines and facilities, etc., is essential for both local and foreign enterprises for processing-trade, outsourcing and supply chain decisions.

ii. Fiscal and Social Policies Directorate is in charge of influencing the governmental policies on fiscal and social realm. That is to say, having collected the opinions of the private sector, the division has to lobby the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and other involve parties, through email or in the various councils, included but not limited to: the Tax Advisory Council, Garment Council, Policies and General Council and Social Policies Council. Seeing that Fiscal and Social Policies of the government are significantly influential to the macroeconomic management, the division is strategically important for the sake of interest of private sector.

iii. The contribution of SMEs in Turkey to the economy, according to 2003 figures, are situated as followings: 99% of all enterprises, 76.7% of employment, 26.5% of investment, 10% of exports and the credits they have are 25% of the total credits.
At a glance, we could see that despite the fact that almost all the enterprises in Turkey are classified as small and medium sizes (with reference to EU classification), which contribute to more than three quarters of job opportunities, SMEs, nevertheless, are at relatively weak position if the portions of exports and credits they have are concerned. In other words, SMEs face difficulties when they complete with multinational companies for the oversea markets and sources of financing.

Leaving aside their lack of assessment of finance and foreign markets, SMEs, in addition, suffer the problem of shortage in skilled labors and of insufficient channels to assess about the government policies.

Therefore, SMEs Division is committed to assist the development of SMEs indirectly at provincial level (since TOBB is Union of Chambers and so the direct responsibility lies on the local chamber instead) by various means.

iv. Insurance Division is responsible for judging the qualification of the Loss Adjustors, who values the damaged equipments, and of other 5648 insurance companies (legal entity) under the registration and information system. The division also gives the suggestion to the Authority in regard to the legislature concerning insurance sector. According to Koksal Bay, the profit of insurance companies of Turkey is dramatically huge, equivalent to 2.38 billion US dollars (and I own him the corresponding figures of HK!). For more information, please visit www.turkstat.gov.tr

v. The duty of Division of Economic Reporting and Statistics is to publish the statistic and press release of the joint-stock companies, limited and unlimited companies.

vi. Division of Training and Quality headed by Halil Bay (Mr. Guler), my most favorite division, first of all schedules the training program for member Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, TOBB staff, Third Party and even Secretary General and Presidency. The training programs are tailor-made which address the need of the attendee. The division is also authorized to manage and audit the quality of the operation and environment of TOBB in accordance with the ISO 9001 since 2003. The very goal of this commitment of ISO stand is to achieve the standardization, as suggested by British Chambers of Commerce.