Project Based Investment Incentive Programme

Turkish Republic Ministry of Industry and Technology (General Directorate of Incentive Implementation and Foreign Investment)

2016/9495 numbered Decision (Decision Regarding Granting of Incentives for Project Based Investments)

General Information

General purpose of this investment programme is, providing for Turkey’s present or future critical needs, ensuring supply-demand security, decreasing import dependency, enhancing new generation technologies and prioritizing R&D intense, eco-friendly products by depending on aims determined under Turkey’s development plans and annual programmes.

Investment Areas

Energy Technologies

Integrated Metallurgy Production

Petrochemical Investments

Biotech/Medicines

Medical Technologies

Transportation Technologies

Defense Systems, Air & Space Technologies

Electronics

Information & Communication Technologies

Agro-İndustry Technologies

Components of This Programme

Tax Incentives:

VAT Exemption for Machinery and Equipment

VAT Refund for Construction

Corporate Income Tax Reduction or Exemption

Customs Duty Exemption

Employment Incentives:

Social Security Premium Support (up to 10 years)

Qualified Personnel Wage Support (up to 5 years and limited to 20 times the gross minimum wage)

Income Tax Withholding Support (up to 10 years)

Financial Inventives:

Energy Support (up to 10 years and limited to 50% of energy costs)

Interest or Profit Share Support to a Certain Amount of Investment (up to 10 years)

Partnership with the Government (up to 49% share)

Land Allocation:

Land Allocation up to 49 years

Transfer of Ownership to Investor (if the employment is maintained for 5 years)

Infrastructure Support

Other Incentives:

Purchase Guarantee for a Certain Period

Fast Track Procedures for Certain Permissions, Licences, Allocations, Registrations

Procedure to Benefit from Project Based Investment Incentive Programme

Procedure to benefit from this Programme may start with competent authority’s announcement of specified investment fields that every interested firm can apply or with an invitation of selected companies. Investors who are planning to benefit from this programme or who are invited must prepare several documents provided with the 2016/9495 numbered Decision. These documents should be prepared in accordance with Annex 1 of the Decision. According to the Annex-1, these documents must contain: Information regarding the firm and the investment details, Feasibility Report, Impact Analysis, Requested Incentives with their reasoning provided. After these documents are prepared, an application petition must be filed to the General Directorate of Incentive Implementation and Foreign Investment.

Assessment of the application will be made in accordance with the purpose of the Decision which means competent authority will assess the investments on the grounds of their ability to supply the current and future needs of Turkey, ensure supply security, reduce external supply dependency, provide technological transformation and/or projects possessing high R&D intensity/high added value, reduce external supply dependency.

Following this step, projects that are found appropriate will be presented to Council of Ministers, which will decide on the firms that will benefit from the incentive programme. Council of Ministers will grant Incentive Certificate for selected firms, which must complete the investment in designated period. During this period Ministry of Industry and Technology has the authority to control and examine the pace and situation of the investment. It should be noted that investors are expected and liable to complete investment in designated period of time; otherwise, they may face administrative and tax fines that are provided in 2016/9495 numbered decision.