54 / 104
The second in the series of ““SMEs Transcend Borders
through Factoring” gatherings took place in Turkey’s R&D
innovation colossus Bursa on 6 April 2016.
During the second “SMEs Transcend Borders through Factoring”
meeting in Bursa, local businesses were given information on
ways in which to benefit the most from the factoring industry
in order to increase their access to foreign markets and to grow
their export capacities. Also dealt with at the meeting were two
of the most serious problems that SMEs face: insufficient equity
and difficulties in gaining access to credit. Having to contend
with these problems as they strive to be the engines of Turkey’s
export trade in many different sectors such as automotives,
textiles, foods, and furniture, Bursa’s SMEs listened to speakers’
presentations about how the non-bank financial industry’s
alternative solutions can help them reduce their financing costs
and increase their exports and competitive strength.
A “Strong and Secure Tomorrows with SMEs” gathering was
held in Samsun on 9 November 2016.
Led by AFI and supported by the Ministry of Science, Industry
and Technology, the Banking Regulation and Supervision
Agency, the Turkish Exporters Assembly, and Turk Eximbank, a
heavily-attended “Strong and Secure Tomorrows with SMEs”
meeting was held in Samsun.
Speaking at the gathering AFI Chairman Mehmet Cantekin
said that the Association was making a concerted effort
to make SMEs aware that their two most serious problems
were insufficient equity and access to credit and that only
by addressing these issues could they hope to increase their
competitive strength and export capacities, to grow, and to
penetrate foreign markets. Noting that during the first six
months of the current year the Turkish factoring industry
had negotiated TL 60 billion worth of trade finance and
guarantee and collection services to SMEs and other businesses,
Mr. Cantekin also said that AFI’s priority was SMEs as the
powerhouse of the Turkish economy.
Taking the floor, AFI Deputy Chairman Çağatay Baydar first said
that Samsun’s SMEs were not yet benefitting sufficiently from
factoring services and then declared “It’s important to us to
make it convenient for SMEs in Samsun and indeed for SMEs all
over Turkey to gain access to financing.”
in order to reach out to SMEs in many different parts of the
country and to explain the financing methods that might
benefit them. “Strong and Secure Tomorrows with SMEs”
events staged in Bursa, Denizli, Samsun, Adana, and İzmir were
attended by local SMEs, mayors, governors, chamber of industry
and commerce presidents, and commercial exchange presidents
as well as by the head of the Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Organization, the general director of the Credit
Bureau of Turkey, and members of AFI.
During these gatherings a host of issues were discussed ranging
from financing that SMEs can access and support programs
that they can benefit from to forms of credit, from borrowing
instruments in a contracting economy to alternative resources,
and from insurance to guarantee services. On such occasions,
factoring products were introduced to hundreds of SMEs,
who were also provided with detailed explanations on how
they could be used in financing. All the questions raised by
participants were responded to.
The first in the series of “SMEs Transcend Borders
through Factoring” meetings took place in Denizli on
24 February 2016.
The first in the series of “SMEs Transcend Borders through
Factoring” meetings in which representatives of the Ministry
of Science, Industry and Technology, the Banking Regulation
and Supervision Agency, the Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Organization, the Turkish Exporters Assembly, and
Turk Eximbank took part was held in Denizli. This meeting was
also attended by Denizli Mayor Osman Zolan, AFI Chairman
Osman Zeki Özger, and numerous participants from the business
world. In a session that was moderated by journalist Noyan
Doğan, Turk Eximbank Deputy General Manager Hayrettin
Kaplan, AFI Deputy Chairman Zafer Ataman, AFI Board Member
Çağatay Baydar, and TİM Vice President Süleyman Kocasert
described the “SMEs Transcend Borders through Factoring”
project to their listeners.
Emphasizing the importance to Turkey of the “SMEs Transcend
Borders through Factoring” project’s goal of achieving the
country’s USD 500 billion/year exports target by 2023, AFI
Chairman Osman Zeki Özger noted that SMEs account for
99% of Turkey’s company registrations and provide 75% of
the country’s jobs. Mr. Özger continued his remarks saying “We
launched this program, which is part of AFI’s “SME Strategy
Action Plan”, in Denizli. We know Denizli is important to
Turkey’s export trade and that’s why we thought it would be a
good place to start helping SMEs to transcend borders.”
2016 AFI operations
Annual Report 2016
The Association of Financial Institutions
52