Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Akın warned the general managers of departments and subsidiaries about saving money as soon as he took office and notified all units about the ‘Saving Measures’ published on Friday, April 24. During the past 2 months, a total of 60 million lira was saved as all departments and subsidiaries adopted saving as a motto.
Having received briefings from the departments and general directorates of the subsidiaries about the operations and expenditures as soon as he took office, Mayor of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality Ahmet Akın gave the necessary instructions in the first days to ensure savings and effective and efficient use of resources in municipal expenditures. In this direction, Mayor Ahmet Akın, who notified all relevant departments about the austerity measures he had prepared in April, listed the measures under 9 headings. Saving Measures for Workforce Planning, Saving Measures for the Use of Financial Resources, Saving Measures for Electricity Consumption, Saving Measures for Water Consumption, Saving Measures for Vehicle Use, Saving Measures for Internet, Communication and Electronic Systems, Saving Measures for Stationery and Fixtures, Saving Measures for Computer Systems and Saving Measures for Resource Use.
Avoid investments with idle capacity
Within the scope of the savings measures itemized under these headings, there are articles on avoiding investments that exceed the actual amount of need and idle capacity while making investment plans, direct production or procurement of goods and services from the market by conducting cost/benefit analysis, and payment of electricity, water and natural gas invoice fees without delay.
All purchases will be made from a single source
In addition, there are important articles such as not making new tenders except in cases of necessity, obtaining permission from Secretary General Naki Çetin on necessary issues, all purchases to be made by the Department of Support Services Direct Procurement, Movables, Goods and Warehouses Branch Directorate, and the use of the representation and promotion appropriation only by the Directorate of Private Secretariat by abandoning the application of all expenditure units in the budget.
No more fuel and paper waste
The importance of saving was also emphasized with articles such as the use of service vehicles and work machines in accordance with the purpose for which they were allocated, doing what is necessary to ensure less fuel consumption of vehicles, using electronic documents if possible in all official correspondence, recycling waste paper and other materials to the national economy.
On Wednesday, April 24, in order to ensure that there are no problems in the implementation of the relevant articles sent to all departments and general directorates of subsidiaries, each unit is audited by the deputy general secretaries to whom they are affiliated regarding the savings measures on both financial and other issues, and the “General Report on Savings Measures” is submitted to Secretary General Naki Çetin in the second week of each month, including the suggestions.
“We choose savings in expenses”
Stating that they have adopted the principle of saving by using the budget and resources of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality and its subsidiaries in the most efficient and effective way since they took office and that they have saved approximately 60 million liras in this way, Mayor Ahmet Akın said: “Due to inflation, the cost of all our expenses reaches quite high prices compared to the previous year. But we do not use this as an excuse. We always choose savings in the materials and expenses we use while providing the best service to our city. As soon as I took office, I gave instructions to the relevant department heads and general managers about saving. In a short time, we communicated our saving measures. No one can doubt that we will spend these 5 years as a good son of my Balıkesir Family. We will repay their trust to the fullest with our services, investments and fair management approach. No one should have any doubt about this.”
