Having begun as a pilot practice in Istanbul under the development agency to provide convenience for foreign investors by easing bureaucratic processes and expediting the establishment of a business, the one-stop shop model investment office will be extended to include other provinces and domestic investors in 2018. Speaking to the Anadolu Agency (AA) regarding the Turkish economy and the opportunities provided for the investors, Minister of Development Lütfi Elvan explained that the "one-stop shop" system was implemented as a pilot practice to accelerate the bureaucratic process for foreign investors within the scope the Istanbul Development Agency, adding that with this system, the authorization and licensing processes started to be realized from a single body.
"We have recruited one employee here from each ministry and they communicate directly with their ministries. They can do all the operations from there," Elvan said, informing that when a foreign investor arrives in Istanbul, he comes to the Istanbul Development Agency and has the opportunity to handle all permits and licensing transactions, including the staff, from a single center.
Noting that the said project is extremely important for foreign investors, Elvan said in 2018 this system will be extended to include other provinces and domestic investors as well.
"Our investors who want to invest first will go to the development agency in that province and all permits and licensing transactions will be carried out there from a single center," he continued. "We will implement this program in several provinces for our local investors in Anatolia starting from 2018. We hope to implement this practice step by step in 2018."
Elvan said the amount of foreign investment in the first three quarters of this year should be assessed considering the events of 2016.
Indicating that in January-September there was a foreign capital inflow of $5 billion new investment, while this figure was $4.5 billion in the January-September period of last year, Elvan said with regard to real estate, there was an inflow of $2.5 billion in January-September 2016 and an inflow of $3.6 billion in the same period of this year. "Even if we take into consideration the liquidation of some companies with foreign capital in Turkey, there is a foreign capital inflow close to $8 billion since the beginning of the year," he added.