Minister of Labor and Social Security Vedat Işıkhan announced significant financial relief measures for employers.
Speaking at the "Labor Life Meetings in the Turkey Century" program in Kars, Minister Işıkhan reported that the deferral period for overdue debts to the Social Security Institution (SGK) has been extended from 36 months to 72 months to facilitate repayment.
Interest Rate Reduction
Işıkhan announced that the annual deferral interest rate applied to applications made until August 31, 2026, has been reduced from 39% to 29%. This reduction aims to lower the financing costs for businesses.
Furthermore, the unsecured deferral limit, previously 250 thousand lira, has been increased to 10 million lira. It was noted that employers currently with debts under deferral and installment plans can also restructure their debts to benefit from this new, lower interest rate.
Employment Data in Kars
In his speech, Minister Işıkhan conveyed that the employment rate in the TRA2 Region, covering the provinces of Kars, Ağrı, Iğdır, and Ardahan, has reached 49.9%, while the unemployment rate remains below the national average at 6.4%.
He noted that since 2002, over 26,000 people have been placed in jobs through İŞKUR in Kars alone, with 543 open job requests received from employers in just the first five months of this year.
Işıkhan stated that to support business growth in the region, over 12,000 workplaces have benefited from SGK incentives to date, with total support provided exceeding 1.4 billion lira.
The Minister advised businesses and municipalities with SGK debts to consider these regulations as an opportunity and apply promptly.