İzmir Metropolitan Municipality's 2022 budget and the following years' budget and performance program were accepted by a majority of votes after the discussions held in the municipal council. Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç SoyerNoting that İzmir receives an investment at the rate of one 40 percent of its contribution to the central budget, he said, “Of course not from the municipality, but the investment that İzmir should receive from the central government should at least be close to this.” Stating that he found the budget to be successful, Soyer said, “The budget figures and realization rates we have put forward for 3 years are extremely successful. I am sure that there is no other municipality in Turkey that makes such a successful budget.”

The 6th session of the November ordinary council meeting of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality was held at the Ahmed Adnan Saygun Art Center (AASSM), Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç SoyerIt was done under the direction of. In the assembly, the 2022 budget of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, the budget for the following years and the performance program were discussed. Determined to continue its investments next year despite the economic crisis Turkey is going through and the financial conditions worsened by the pandemic, the Metropolitan Municipality has determined its 2022 budget as 12.5 billion liras. Metropolitan, which allocates 12.5 billion TL (5 percent) of the 40 billion TL budget to investments; decided to continue its work in areas such as rail system, transportation and infrastructure. The performance program for 2022 and the budget for 2022 and the following years were approved by majority of votes. Deniz Yücel, İzmir Provincial President of the Republican People's Party (CHP), also attended the parliamentary meeting where the budget negotiations took place.

I hope the dollar and euro fluctuations will end

Making a short statement after the agenda items were passed and before the budget talks, Metropolitan Mayor Soyer celebrated the teachers' 24 November Teacher's Day and mentioned the fluctuations in the exchange rate in recent days. Mayor Soyer said, "I hope that the fluctuations regarding the dollar and euro will end and we will experience a period when we will not need revisions."

Chairman of the Commission Sözüpek explained what has been done and what will be done one by one

Bülent Sözüpek, Member of the Assembly of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Chairman of the Plan and Budget Commission, Republican People's Party (CHP), made statements regarding the budget program prepared. Sözüpek also made a detailed presentation about the activities carried out in 2021. Emphasizing that the services provided are for İzmir, Sözüpek said, “İzmir is the apple of our eye, the shining star of Turkey. We are proud of our Izmir vision. I wish our budget to be beneficial for our city," he said.

Metropolitan Municipality gave a lesson on how to execute the right budget management.

In the meeting, the group vice presidents of political parties were also given the right to speak. CHP Group Deputy Chairman Mustafa Özuslu said, “The budget is not actually a number, it is life itself. Today, we are faced with a picture of Turkey that is not managed well and is getting poorer due to the effect of the pandemic. We should all take a good look at this photo with its government and opposition. Thankfully, our Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is able to provide finance. We've definitely had a tough year. The President prepared a meticulous budget to face a more difficult year. Tunç Soyer and his friends. We know the weight of the load on us. Despite the increasing costs, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality has given a lesson on how to implement a balanced, rational, realistic and correct budget management. From here, I would like to thank the bureaucrats of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality does not have a single project that has been delayed in terms of financial distress and insolvency. This pride is ours," he said.

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality is not in debt

Saying that İzmir ranks 3rd in paying taxes and 76th in receiving services, Özuslu said, “As İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, we mobilize all our resources for İzmir and we will continue to do so. We do not have any actions that we cannot account for. İzmir should hold accountable for this unfair treatment applied to it.”

Good luck to Izmir

CHP Group Sözcüsü Nilay Kökkılınç, on the other hand, criticized the central government by referring to the economic crisis in Turkey. Kökkılınç, who made a statement regarding the prepared budget, said, “We reflect the budget we have to the people of İzmir in the best way possible. Unfortunately, İzmir receives very little of the tax revenues it brings to our country. May the 2022 budget be beneficial to the people of Izmir and the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality," he said.

Parliament showed that shallow politics were not done

Speaking at the end of the session, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç SoyerExpressing that he was satisfied with the atmosphere of the budget negotiations, “It was a very civilized negotiation. Every speaking friend of ours has studied a serious lesson. This was also extremely important. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Council showed Izmir that it is not a council where people who are defeated by their egos break each other and shallow politics are made. This is extremely valuable… Maybe more valuable than anything said here… So first of all, I would like to thank him.”

İzmir gave 40; took 1

Soyer also referred to the figures transferred from the central government to the municipality in his speech. Soyer said, “Our source comes from the central government, but it does not mean that we do not hold accountable for how much of an investment the taxes paid by İzmir are returned to İzmir. We all need to account for this. It has no politics. We have to do this together too. If we look at the 3-year breakdown; İzmir paid 2019 and a half billion TL in 84, 2020 and a half billion in 95, 2021 billion TL in the first 9 months of 91.7, a total of 271.8 billion TL. In return, the total amount we receive as investment expenditure is 5.61 billion TL. In short, İzmir gave 40; 1 got it! Not for the municipality, of course, but the investment that İzmir should receive from the central government should at least be close to this. It is not something to be taken lightly that our friends insistently say that we are in the 81th place out of 76 cities. This is a very dire picture. It is not inconsistent with our being social democrats, it is our most natural right to demand this, and to expect the need for it in terms of fairness," he said.

I'm sure there is no other municipality in Turkey that can make such a successful budget.

Soyer also said about the decisions taken in the parliament, “We had jointly passed 98 percent of our decisions. We have come to this day by showing a common will. The budget is successful. Why? It is the realization rate that measures the success of the budget. There is only one explanation for being successful for a budget; realization rate. Congratulations to our colleagues working in Financial Services. The budget figures and realization rates we have put forward for 3 years are extremely successful. I am sure that there is no other municipality in Turkey that makes such a successful budget.”

Turkey fire place

Referring to the economic crisis the country is in, Soyer said, “Turkey is a place of fire. It is impossible not to see this. While we were continuing the discussion, the bread cost 2.5 TL. I will also talk to my friends. Let's not raise Halk Ekmek until the end of January. Let's try to stretch it as much as possible. But one thing hurts the most. More than 50 percent of young people want to leave this country, friends. If a country has reached this point, what value would it be for it to be described as the country with the highest growth in the IMF or where it has increased its GNP! What could it mean? If our children want to leave this country, we have to stop there. This is the heaviest possible bill. We have to fix this,” he said.

If this surge lasts for another 15 days…

Soyer finally said, “If a forest is on fire, it is not possible for a group of trees to save themselves. That forest is our forest and we have to put it out together. We have to put out this fire together by joining hands from Izmir. As much as we can afford. This is fire because it doesn't just leave a group of trees. It burns us all. God forbid, if this fluctuation in Turkey continues for another 10-15 days, it will have much more serious consequences for the country. "We all need to put out this fire by keeping our common sense," he said.

What stood out in the budget?

The 2022 main headings that came first with the amount of investment and service in the 19 Fiscal Year budget of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality are as follows;

1 billion 100 million TL for asphalt coating, maintenance, repair and arrangement on transportation roads,
510 million TL for Buca Metro within the scope of Light Rail System Project,
301 million TL for the construction of tram lines,
250 million TL for the construction of the Fahrettin Altay-Narlıdere District Governorship Metro within the scope of the Light Rail System Project,
201 million TL for expropriation works,
190 million TL for the construction of engineering structures, tunnels and connection roads between Buca-Bornova,
170 million TL for İzmir Opera House,
156 million TL for Kemeraltı and its environs renovation projects and programs,
150 million TL for the construction of Izmir Light Rail System vehicle storage facilities,
117 million 500 thousand TL for the Dairy Lamb Project,
100 million 10 thousand TL for in-kind and cash aid to those in need,
100 million TL for the modern, innovative and themed green areas project,
97 million 680 thousand TL for periodically checking and spraying the breeding areas of pests,
96 million 800 thousand TL for the development of the smart traffic management system,
80 million TL for vehicle and construction equipment purchases,
66 million TL for underpass and overpass works on transportation roads,
Construction, maintenance and reinforcement of municipal service facilities, buildings and warehouses 60 million TL,
50 million TL for the removal of rain water from the roads and for the improvement of streams

İzmir's 12.5 Budget of 2022 Billion TL Has Been Approved