Gürcafer: The issue is not about the money, it is about getting the right vaccine

Cafer Gürcafer, President of the Cyprus Turkish Building Contractors Association (CTBCA) and the Term Spokesperson for the Economic Organizations Platform (EOP), evaluated the new economic package, prepared under the title of “Emergency Measures Package”.

Stating that economic organizations have been evaluating the issue since the first day of the epidemic, Gürcafer said, “At this juncture, there is a real economic sector left alone with its fate. Economic organizations have resigned to the reality that ‘we should not expect anything from the state.’ We are on our own and we talk about what we could be doing about it. Therefore, the issue of vaccination has been on the agenda of economic organizations for some time and we are endeavouring to bring the vaccine directly to our country ourselves.

Cafer Gürcafer reiterated his warning that if by April percent of the society was not vaccinated, at the very least 40, and with the approval of the Health Supreme Council, the country is not opened without a quarantine requirement for visitors, serious bankruptcies will occur.

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer was a guest of the program “Concerning Today” prepared and presented by Nazar Erişkin on Cyprus Genç TV and made very important statements pertaining to topical issues.

 “There is no lockdown, there is chaos in the country, no one is adhering to the rules”

Gürcafer stated that the vaccine ought to arrive in the country as soon as possible and vaccination should be done as part of a program.

Noting that the current lockdown does not serve any purpose in the current context, Cafer Gürcafer said, “This closure should be of some use. I am listening to our doctors. At present, the lockdown is not serving any purpose, there is no lockdown anyway. There is chaos in the country. No one is adhering to the prohibitions or rules that have been put in place. The streets are full of people. see that the measures being implemented do not serve a longer-term purpose. This is driving many people, especially in the business world, towards feeling a lot more anxious.”

“A crisis desk must be established”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer said that the government does not have an exit plan from this crisis, and that precautions are taken daily by rule of thumb.

Emphasizing that a crisis desk should be established immediately in the country, Gürcafer explained the management criteria for this desk and what needs to be done as follows: “A crisis desk with competent authority for making decisions should be formed immediately. Stakeholders, government and opposition should also have a seat at this table. All decisions should be taken as one and implemented collaboratively.

“Like having a mental eclipse”

What is being done now is no more than keeping up with tradition. Households with two breadwinners are hard pressed to see the end of the month on a monthly salary of 5,000 TL each. You tell these people, ‘take 1000 TL and eke out a living for your family’. To propose this is to me is like having a mental eclipse and it is really embarrassing. Yes, we will suffer this pain, maybe we will suffer more, but there must be a plan, a target.”

“Need to be one voice”

Stating that EOP has set a goal at this juncture, Gürcafer said, “We will find the vaccine, pay for it, bring it, and aim to open up once the society is vaccinated.”

Stating that there is a need for common sense and to have one voice within this process, Gürcafer said, “Apart from the government, there is another voice from the opposition, a different one from the unions, and yet another from the business world. We need to demonstrate that we have common sense during this period.”

“The state is like a business developing marketing techniques”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer harshly criticized the new economic package prepared under the name of ‘Emergency Measures Package’

Gürcafer stated, “Us to the government; ‘do not give it to us, but truly, there are many in need in this country. We said go, source something from wherever you can and give what you find to these people.’’ He went on to expresses, ‘’Yet, at the point we are in, there is a package put forward just so that a package could be announced. I wish it had never been announced. Today, the people are viewing this as ‘my state is exhausted’.’’

Saying that the state is acting like a business developing marketing techniques, Cafer Gürcafer stated, “It is as if our distress is about the rental income of the foundations, or the income of the Provident Fund. Tens of thousands of people are facing hunger in the country. We need to develop a project about how these people will earn a livelihood. Their position is; ‘What is the point of you covering the 60 percent of my insurance premium? My business has gone under, not operating. I cannot give bread to my employee’.”

Gürcafer said, “There will be an adjustment regarding rental arrangements, and debts due on premium payments, but first we need to determine the damage and reliably forecast when it will end. For this, we have to do work that is erudite. This is work which requires a serious workshop with the participation of stakeholders, especially with the participation of economists.

“We are threatening the banking sector as well”

Reminding that during crisis such as this all countries put forth facilities in order to keep the real economic sector alive as much as possible as well not to have public service employees starve, Cafer Gürcafer noted that whereas in the TRNC, we were being directed to the banks.

Expressing that the real economic sector is not in a state where it can handle its debts, Gürcafer said, “Once this war is over and the damage is measured, determining the debt burden and the true state of the enterprises requires serious work. We are currently threatening the banking sector in our country as well.’’

Stating that it is essential to have the wheels of the economy turning again, Gürcafer was critical when saying, “Currently, credit is being issued to meet the need to make a living. It is not a business loan or a lending for a business to recover. This only serves to humiliate businesses.”

“No money problem”

Noting that the problem with reaching the vaccine is not to do with money, CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer stated that the important thing is to get the right vaccine and in the right way.

Cafer Gürcafer noted that they are in contact with one of the 23 national companies which market the Sinovac vaccine and that they are trying to conclude this exercise as quickly as possible. “We will get it in coordination with our Ministry of Health,” he said.

Gürcafer, said: “If 300-400 thousand vaccines would arrive in the country, these will go to Turkey first, over there, they will be controlled for a duration of 14 days, and only then come to us. Such is the vaccine supply we are after. It’s not about money. For example, we said, as the CTBCA, ‘we make a payment of $2-2.5 million and purchase’. The Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Industry and the Hoteliers Association said the same. There is no problem with money. The problem is to get the right vaccine and in the right way. Frankly, we did not want to be disrespectful. Turkey said it would give us the vaccine. For one to go searching for a vaccine abroad while Turkey was trying to furnish us with the vaccine would not be an appropriate approach. Therefore, we said to the government, ‘clarify with Turkey how much of the vaccine will be given to us and by when’. We said to say; ‘Turkey, if you give us vaccines all at once, that way you and us both will be rid us being an economic burden on you, and we could have our economy recover. If you have the means, provide it to us.’ In as much when we know this, we may be accountable to our people. Therefore, we resolved to purchase the vaccine by paying 1-2 dollars more.”

“The criticism is baseless and very ugly”

CTBCA President Cafer Gürcafer underlined that these vaccines will be used to vaccinate the country within the national programme framework, under the control of the Ministry of Health.

Chastising statements such as ‘the rich will be vaccinated, the poor will remain’, Gürcafer said, “While we as the business world are at the point of saying ‘let us meet the vaccination requirements of the poor people and not demand any money from them’; the criticism is baseless and very ugly. Even if the owner of a hotel is vaccinated, that hotel cannot be opened unless 300-400 employees are vaccinated too. Perhaps and in so much that by activating private hospitals the vaccination process could be accelerated; this too is very important.’’