"Record Penalty for Minimum Wage Exploiters"

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In a statement made by the Ministry of Trade, it was reported that approximately 23.7 million TL in administrative fines were imposed during inspections conducted between December 23-31, 2024.

In the statement from the Ministry of Trade, it was reported that inspections were carried out nationwide before the New Year to prevent citizens from suffering due to the announcement of the minimum wage increase. The written statement published by the Ministry included the following expressions: As the Ministry of Trade, our inspections have been continuing intensively in 81 provinces before the New Year to ensure that our citizens do not suffer from exorbitant price increases and unfair profits due to actual situations.

RECORD PENALTY ACTIONS IN PRE-NEW YEAR INSPECTIONS

In this context, between December 25, 2024, and December 31, 2024, 5,846 businesses were inspected during market inspections conducted in 81 provinces. During the studies, 577,672 products were inspected, and violations were detected in 6,662 products, resulting in a total of 13,838,753 TL in penalties. Additionally, a process has been initiated regarding unfair price increases for 3,479 companies.

In market inspections, Istanbul ranked first with 797 market inspections, followed by Ankara with 436 markets and Antalya with 411 market inspections. The provinces with the highest number of product inspections were Ankara with 154,922 products in the first place, followed by Antalya with 93,603 products and Istanbul with 73,031 products. The provinces with the highest number of violations detected were Istanbul with 2,932 violations in the lead, followed by Ankara with 1,806 violations, and Elazığ with 506 violations in third place.

VIOLATIONS AND PENALTIES IN MARKET INSPECTIONS

If we evaluate the penalties applied in market inspections, Istanbul received an administrative fine of 6,450,400 TL, while Ankara followed with a penalty of 3,973,200 TL and Bursa with an administrative fine of 266,200 TL.

As a result of the inspections, the provinces with the highest number of markets under investigation for unfair pricing were Istanbul with 795, followed by Ankara with 436, and İzmir with 136 companies.

LAST STATUS OF CAFE AND RESTAURANT INSPECTIONS

As the Ministry of Trade, in addition to market inspections, a total of 285,499 products were inspected in 4,779 businesses across 81 provinces during the cafe and restaurant inspections conducted on December 30-31, 2024, which were prioritized before the New Year. As a result of 4,551 violations detected, a total of 9,897,148 TL in penalties were imposed. Additionally, a process has been initiated regarding unfair price increases for 735 businesses.

Among the cafe and restaurant inspections, the province with the highest number of businesses inspected was Istanbul with 934, followed by Ankara with 496 and Antalya with 270 businesses. The provinces with the highest number of product inspections were Istanbul with 92,013 products, Ankara with 43,381 products, and Antalya with 21,053 products. As a result of the inspections, 2,829 violations were detected in Istanbul, 455 in Ankara, and 282 in Bursa.

If we evaluate the penalties applied in cafe and restaurant inspections, the top three provinces are Istanbul, Ankara, and Bursa, with penalty amounts of 6,223,800 TL, 1,000,000 TL, and 620,400 TL, respectively. Additionally, a process has been initiated regarding unfair price increases for 133 businesses in Istanbul, 69 in Kocaeli, and 48 in İzmir. As the Ministry of Trade, our fight against exorbitant prices and unfair profits, which will affect the welfare of our citizens, will continue with all sensitivity in 2025, without allowing any actions or deeds.