İbrahim Kahveci Criticizes Yeni Şafak’s Economic Proposal: "They Are Looking for a Scapegoat"

Yeni Şafak’s Six-Point Economic Package The Yeni Şafak newspaper, known for its proximity to the government, has published a six-point reform package titled "The Salvation Recipe for the Economy" as an alternative to current economic policies.
The newspaper specifically criticized the interest rate policies implemented by the Central Bank and presented a new roadmap intended to encourage production and reduce costs.
İbrahim Kahveci: "The Ground for a Crisis is Being Prepared" Economist İbrahim Kahveci issued harsh criticisms of the proposed model, reminding that similar approaches led to exorbitant increases in housing and rental prices in the past.
Kahveci claimed that this move is a preparation to declare Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek a "scapegoat." Arguing that the proposed model ignores real interest rate calculations, Kahveci suggested that the current economic management is being deliberately targeted.
He noted that industrial production growth has slowed since 2022, with capital shifting toward real estate, and warned that the proposed model would further deepen this imbalance.
"It is not enough for Mehmet Şimşek to do what they say; they need a scapegoat," Kahveci stated, highlighting the political dimension of the disagreements over economic policy.
Key Reform Proposals The solution proposals presented by Yeni Şafak include imposing a 40% additional customs duty on Chinese-origin products to close the foreign trade deficit.
The newspaper suggests that the approximately $12 billion in revenue generated from this should be transferred to the budget to lighten the tax burden on fuel.
Furthermore, the proposal calls for several tax adjustments: The removal of the Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) on fuel.
A 50% reduction in Value Added Tax (KDV) on fuel.
Increasing the withholding tax rate on time deposit accounts to 25% to direct capital toward production instead of interest income.