The President of the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development and Support Administration (KOSGEB) of the Ministry of Industry and Technology, Ahmet Serdar İbrahimcioğlu, announced that applications for support for SMEs reached 45 thousand in 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes on February 6. During a visit to Nurdağı and İslahiye districts of Gaziantep, which were severely impacted by the earthquakes, he met with SMEs to address their concerns and provide information about the Post-Earthquake Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Revival Support Program.
The program is being carried out under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology with a budget of 450 million dollars, in collaboration with the World Bank. İbrahimcioğlu emphasized that this support is crucial for SMEs as it aims to help them recover from the damage caused by the earthquakes. He explained that as of now, applications have reached 45 thousand and that both evaluation processes are ongoing. Payment requests are also being received at an accelerated pace.
Nurdağı and İslahiye districts of Gaziantep are part of Group 1 under this program, which means that micro, small and medium enterprises in these regions will receive support due to minor to heavy damage caused by the earthquake despite not having any physical damage themselves. As such, KOSGEB’s contribution to supporting SMEs across Turkey remains unwavering, regardless of location or district.
According to Ibrahimcioglu, “99 percent of Turkey is made up of SMEs” and “the revival with support brings benefits as a lifeline to the region.” He urged SMEs in these affected regions to apply for this program without hesitation so that they can receive much-needed financial assistance during these challenging times.