The President of the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK), Bendevi Palandöken, reacted to the burning electricity and natural gas bills.
Palandoken noted that with the new year, the exorbitant increases in electricity and natural gas started to be reflected on the invoices, and all citizens, especially tradesmen, came under a great economic burden.
Pointing out that the shopkeepers came to the point of unplugging the refrigerator and extinguishing the sign, Palandoken emphasized that the shopkeepers were hesitant to raise their shutters because of the inflated bills.
"Lamps and illuminated signs, which are required to be used every day with devices such as the refrigerator of the grocer, the butcher, the meat grinder, the iron of the tailor, are no longer lit due to these prices. She started returning grocery cabinets. Butchers have become unable to operate their cabinets. The tailor is afraid to open his machine and iron. If the shopkeepers put out their signs, the streets will be without light," he said.
"SUMMER AND WINTER TARIFF SHOULD BE APPLIED"
Palandöken stated that as tradesmen and craftsmen, they want a summer and winter electricity tariff.
"We stated that electricity is used more in winter than in summer, that it is indispensable for heating, lighting, kitchen, cleaning, workplaces, and we made a request not to make a raise. In addition, the decision to transition to the gradual system in natural gas was published in the Official Gazette. In these periods when the winter is hard, the level should be determined from the upper limit by considering the citizens, tradesmen and industrialists. High invoices in the most important expenditure items negatively affect both production and consumption. These high prices increase both inflation and costs," he added.
THE LOWER LIMIT MUST BE 400 KW IN HOUSINGS, 800 KW IN WORKPLACES
Also criticizing the 150 kWh limit imposed on residences, Palandöken said, "While the 150 kWh hour, which is the quota for use only with devices such as refrigerators, ovens and televisions, is exceeding in the residences, the application of the higher tariff to those who exceed this limit has made everyone suffer. For this reason, the lower limit should be at least 400-500 kW in residences and 800-1200 kW in workplaces."