HDP announces economic programme

With days to go until the election, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has unveiled its economic manifesto and pledged that it will give a one thousand lira raise to all public workers, the minimum wage will be a tax-free three thousand lira, the lowest pension will be three thousand lira and they will provide all the unemployed with a one thousand lira allowance of indefinite duration.

 The party’s economic manifesto was announced yesterday by HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli, HDP Deputy Co-Chair with Responsibility for the Economy Garo Paylan and Istanbul MP Erol Katırcıoğlu. Explaining that they had formulated three main programmes to enable their economic goals to be obtained, Sezai Temelli said that the budget cost of the three programmes would be 416 billion lira and employment would be created for more than five million people over five years under these programmes. Temelli, noting that they had initially conceived of a speedy improvement through a transitional two-year programme and an economic rectification plan spread out over five years, stated that they would realise their goals under an “Equitable Distribution Programme,” a “Social Rights Programme” and a “Life Without Debt Programme.”

 Preference given to labour

 Noting that under the “Equitable Distribution Programme” agricultural support would be increased by 100%, the minimum wage would be a tax-free three thousand lira, all public workers would be given a thousand lira raise and the lowest pension would be made three thousand lira, Temelli said, “Under the ‘Social Rights Programme’ young people will be given a ‘Youth Card’ with 500 lira loaded onto it every month, it will be ensured that all citizens are provided with quality and free basic public services, a creche will be opened in every quarter, women in shelters will be paid one thousand lira and those with a forty per cent or more disability will receive an allowance of one thousand lira.” Under the “Life Without Debt Programme,” in turn, interest will be removed from consumer loans and credit card debt and they will be restructured on a long-term basis.

 Tax justice is a priority

 It is pointed out in the manifesto unveiled by the party that initially an environment of trust is needed to exit the economic crisis. The party, which sees the ending of the state of emergency as the first step for exiting the crisis, has included in its thirteen-page economic manifesto the pronouncement, “Politics is making preferences. We will exercise our preference in economic policy to the benefit of the poor, labour, peace, women and nature.” Stating that they would take taxation as the basis for financing public services, Sezai Temelli said, “Tax justice is our priority. A lot from those who earn a lot, little from those who earn little. If you want to attain justice, you must base the tax system on this principle. Noting that they would end waste in the use of public resources, Temelli commented, “The presidential budget is a budget that has assumed gigantic proportions. Apologies to Mr Demirtaş, but we will reduce this budget to as symbolic a state as possible. As he will not in fact live in the place, either, we imagine he will get by on a modest budget.”

 HDP ekonomik programını açıkladı: 5 yılda 5 milyon istihdam